Bacardi claims the original recipe for this refreshing warm weather cooler goes back to 1586. According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I filled her treasury with the plunderings of corsairs like Sir Francis Drake, who ruled the seas of the Caribbean for Britannia. His subordinate, Richard Drake, is said to have created a drink he named the Draque from the local ingredients: cane alcohol, sugar, lime, and mint. It was renamed the mojito, a variant on the African word mojo, which means a little spell. It makes a great accompaniment for smoky and sweet barbecue.
Recipe
Yield: Makes two glasses Preparation time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons sugar
6 mint leaves, cut in half
2 whole mint leaves or sprigs for garnish
1 lime
3 ounces light rum
1/2 cup of ice cubes
About 1 cup of soda water
Options. Substitute lime soda water for the soda water, lime rum for the light rum, lime syrup or brown sugar for the sugar.
Do this
1) Place the cut mint and sugar in a martini shaker. Use a muddler (looks like a small wooden baseball bat) or the handle of a wooden spoon to bruise the mint by grinding it against the shaker bottom and the sugar for about half a minute.
2) Squeeze both halves of the lime into the glass and use a juicer to get it all out. Add the lime hulls and rum, and fill half way with ice cubes. Shake vigorously.
3) Add the soda water, shake gently just to mix in the soda water, but not enough to make it go flat. Pour through the martini shaker's strainer into martini glasses, and garnish with a mint leaf or sprig.
This page was revised 7/5/2007
Important Info About This Website
AmazingRibs.com is all about the Zen of Barbecue, cooking ribs, and all kinds of BBQ recipes and techniques: Barbecue baby back ribs, spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, smoked turkey, steak, lamb, barbecue sauces, rubs, and great side dishes, with the net's best buying guide to barbecue smokers and cookers. It is written, illustrated, and coded solely by Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn.
About links on this site. Other than clearly marked ads, links and recommendations on this site are all products, services, and websites I truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. Your suggestions are always welcome. If you would like me to link to your website, click here to read my links policy first.
Product Reviews and Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards. Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards are highly recommended products that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
My Privacy Promise.I promise to never sell or distribute any info about you individually without your express permission, and I promise not to, ahem, pepper you with email or make you eat spam. Click here for more about my privacy promise.
Buy Meathead some meat so he can work up some new recipes.
With a $15 donation he'll send you a very cool embroidered iron-on patch.
With a $25 donation you'll get a 100% cotton, brushed twill, adjustable, low profile cap with the patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight wood smoke pellets.
GrillGrates Take Your Grill Into the Infrared Zone
GrillGrates are the best new product I have tested in years and the best thing to happen to beef since salt and pepper.
They sit on top of your current grill's grates. The hard anodized aircraft grade aluminum rail tops are flat and wide and make perfect dark crunchy grill marks. The base superheats yet eliminates hot spots and blocks flareups. This is the same concept behind the expensive new infrared grills.
Juices drip in the valleys between the rails and are vaporized and penetrate the meat enhancing flavor. I throw wood between the rails and they impart a delicate smoke flavor. I have made my best steaks and burgers ever with Grill Grates. This is a really great new product! Click here to read more and for ordering info.
The Smokenator
If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the amazing Smokenator and Hovergrill. The Smokenator turns your grill into a first class smoker, and the Hovergrill can add capacity or be used to get steakhouse steaks. Click here to read more and for ordering info.