shadowspar

Ah, the mojito; possibly the most perfect summer beverage known to humankind. Turning them out one at a time isn't too bad, and they're always nicer made fresh, but there's a lot of mint muddling involved if you're serving a crowd, so it can be nice to have some premix made up instead. Conveniently, it's still plenty refreshing without the rum; a lot of folks take a dim view of getting plastered in the middle of the day, even if that is when it's hottest out.

The method:

1. Procure a two-litre bottle of club soda.
2. Pour off about a cup (250ml) and set aside.
3. Break out your trusty funnel and dump into the bottle the following:
• ⅔ cup (160ml) lime juice
• ½ cup (125ml) white sugar (add it slowly; it foams like a fiend)
• 24 mint leaves
4. Cap the bottle and invert gently a few times to mix.
5. Carefully re-open and top off with the reserved club soda.
6. Stash in the fridge to let the flavours mingle.
7. To serve: pour over ice, add white rum to taste. Garnish with fresh mint and a wedge of lime.

Things start out with the taste of the lime predominating, but since the mint leaves are steeping in solution, as it were, the mint starts to take over before too long. Best to use this in two days or less. If you leave it for too much longer that that, the leaves start to go funky and you have to pitch the whole thing out.

I prefer to add rum after the fact so that you can adjust to everyone's tastes, but if you want to make the alcoholic ready-to-go version, 1 cup (250ml) white rum will do the trick. Enjoy!