Getting the Mojito Right

Peppermint and Applemint Mojito, with Candymint Garnish

Maybe two summers ago, I confidently proclaimed the summer of the Mojito. I'm sure it was. But this simple drink always seems to elude me. The proportions are difficult to fix. Standard recipes use vaguely different recipes. I am usually left adjusting recipes every time I make the drink. Perhaps this is fine--an experimental mojito of sorts--but it gets me down. I'd rather be able, like with almost every other drink I make, to lay out the correct jigger and mix it down fast and accurate and consistent-like.

Alas, it is not to be. The mojito will always be an experiment. Lay out the proportions--3 oz. gin, 2 oz. lime juice, 2 tbsp. sugar syrup--in a boston shaker. Muddle with mint. Good mint is a must. This might seem obvious, but I'm sure that mint comes down to whatever is handy for most, or whatever the store was stocking. This is why I have now planted four kinds of mint in my garden. My mainstay is peppermint. I also have apple mint and candy mint, both of which are spearmint varieties and more sweet than spicy. I prefer the latter in my juleps. Peppermint stands out more in the mojito, which is not a subtle drink and does not showcase the rum the way a good julep showcases the whiskey. Don't over-muddle. The sugar syrup, I find, tends to eat up the mint oils. I add a half dozen cubes of ice to the boston shaker and give it a good hard shake, sixteen or so worth. Then start testing. I use the straw method to avoid any contamination. Adjustments can then be reshaken or stirred in.

Rival this

Once shaken, the mojito can sit in the Boston shaker while the ice is prepared. This is a laborious process, at least for me.  Crushed ice is a must. I have found that the ice must be durable and thick, with as little air content as possible. Even crushed ice must have a backbone or the drink will become flaccid. My Rival Ice-O-Matic Electric Ice Crusher does a nice job, even if it is a little messy.

I prepare the glasses with ice, add an appropriate amount of soda water to the mojito mixture, and stir that up. Then I pour out the mojitos, adding ice if necessary so that it touches the rim. Pop a straw in and serve.

This summer will be beyond the mojito--beyond any one drink, actually--but it is nice to start here and feel utterly comfortable mixing down a classic.

The Summer Blend: Tonic Water #6

Well, a mistake has produced a "noble experiment"

3 cups water (rather than 4)

1/4 cup cinchona bark
1/4 cup citric acid
the rind of three lemons
coriander (tablespoon or so)


2 cup yield. We'll see if the tonic syrup this produces is just ... too much.

I followed it with a simple recipe, 4 cups of water, with a coriander and juniper berry profile.

wine cellar update

Temperatures approached 68 for most of May. In the last week we experienced a big dip in temperature, and the cellar also dropped down about six degrees, to a low of 62. The dip was about one week in length. Temperatures are expected to return to mid-80s by the end of the week, so I anticipate another 68 degree cellar. (temp never exceeded this).