The fragrance of fresh mint and lime always lifts my spirits. This is great with rum but I sometimes make it without the alcohol, simply adding more club soda or a little ginger ale. I rim the glasses with superfine sugar but use regular sugar if that's what you have in your cupboard. Most mojitos come stuffed with mint leaves. You can either muddle the leaves in a cocktail shaker and strain the drink into glasses or add fine ribbons of mint to each drink just before serving.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons Sugar (Preferably superfine, plus 2 T to coat the glasses) 8 Medium Limes 14 Mint Sprigs (rinsed in cold water) 1 Cup Light Rum 4 Cups Ice Cubes ½ Cup Club Soda
Instructions
1.Place a sheet of foil in your freezer so that you have a spot to chill your sugar-rimmed glasses. Pour the 2 tablespoons of sugar onto a small, flat saucer. Halve 1 of the limes cross-wise. Cut one half into slices and set aside for the garnish. Holding a glass upside down so that the lime juice doesn't run down the outside, rub the cut surface of the remaining lime half around the glass's rim. Immediately dip the glass into the saucer of sugar to coat the rim all the way around. Gently shake off any excess sugar and carefully place the glass upright on the sheet of foil in the freezer. Repeat with the other 3 glasses, using the same lime half.
2.Juice the remaining limes and set aside. You should have 6 to 8 tablespoons lime juice.
3.If you'd like to add fine mint ribbons to your drinks, stack 4 to 6 mint leaves per serving, roll the leaves up like a cigar, and cut across the roll, slicing the mint into fine strips. Set these aside and using your hands tear apart 5 or 6 mint sprigs and toss them into a cocktail shaker. Pour in the lime juice, rum and the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar. Using a wooden spoon, muddle this together, crushing the mint leaves to release all that fragrant mint oil. Cap the shaker and shake well.
4.Remove the glasses from the freezer and toss a handful of ice into each. Strain the drinks from a cocktail shaker into the glasses. Divide the mint ribbons, if you like, among the four glasses, and top off each glass with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.
