Strawberry Mojito

I first tasted a mojito while on a Caribbean cruise. There was a bar near the swimming pool and the drink of the day was a mojito. I've been hooked ever since! The combination of mint and lime, with the carbonation of club soda, makes for a refreshing summer drink.

Each summer I grow a mint plant, most of which ends up in mojitos. Like a Girl Scout I am always prepared for when the urge for the minty drink hits!

Usually I make the basic mojito. Every now and then I'll make a fruity one, such as boysenberry or watermelon. By doing so I get my thirst quenched and my daily requirement of fruit.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  I recently bought some beautiful strawberries at the Farmers Market and knew I needed to make strawberry mojitos. They were so good!

Some mojitos call for granulated sugar to be "muddled" with the mint and lime.  I prefer to use a simple syrup as it makes for a smoother drink.  A simple syrup is just a 1:1 mixture of water and sugar.  Boil it until the sugar dissolves and let cool.  For mojitos I usually go one step further and add a handful of mint leaves once the stove has been turned off.  I let this mixture sit for about an hour, then strain into a small pitcher. There is more mint flavor in the drink this way!

Plain white rum is the standard rum used for a mojito.  I like to use a citrus-flavored rum.  Again, I think it gives the drink more flavor!

Strawberry Mojito

For each drink:

1 strawberry, sliced
5-6 mint leaves
1/8 cup simple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup light rum
Club soda, chilled
Crushed ice

In a glass, muddle strawberries, mint leaves, simple syrup and lime juice with a muddler (use the back of a wooden spoon if you don't have a muddler). The goal is to release the juices, not pulverize the fruit and mint, so be gentle!

Add ice and rum. Top with club soda.  Garnish with a strawberry, lime wedge and/or mint sprig, if desired.

This is a muddler!