drink2that: gin MOJITOS

RER 6.22.13

Summer is officially here and we are swimming in the middle of a heat wave. It is totally hot hot hot outside, and there is nothing better to help cool off than a refreshing drink. This weekend, we opted for gin mojitos— minty, sweet, tart and tangy, smooth, and we mustn’t forget, cold.

RER 6.22.13

RER 6.22.13

Earlier that day or the day before, my mother had plucked a few sprigs of mint, and placed them in a jelly jar with just a little water at its base to preserve her crop. Once picked, the race is on to use the herb before it gets too wilty and sad. So of course, we think of drinks. Mint adds freshness to most everything. Just think of that cool feeling you have just after you brush your teeth. And when it is super hot, all you want is that feeling. 

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My mom decided on gin mojitos combining more than one summer staple. Another indicator of summer at our house, other than plentiful lemonade, homemade iced tea, heaping potato salad and super strawberry shortcake, is the giant bottle of Tanqueray frosty in the freezer. And on Saturday we pulled out the green bottle and put it to use. We used a combination of recipes and improvisation to create our refreshing drinks, but essentially it was:

RER 6.22.13

1/2 lime (quartered)

1 to 2 tablespoons of simple syrup

2 to 4 ounces of Tanqueray Gin (depending on desired strength)

8 to 10 mint leaves

Ice

Seltzer or club soda to cover and fill glass

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RER 6.22.13

First place 2 wedges of lime in preferred glass along with half of your mint leaves. Muddle to release lime juice and mint oil.

Add in simple syrup, the rest of your lime and mint leaves, and muddle again.

Put ice in your glass and then pour your desired amount of gin over the ice.

Fill with plain seltzer and garnish with mint.

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These were delicious, refreshing, light and cold. I really love the mixture of the tart and tangy lime and the smooth and cool mint, and the bold gin becomes milder with the other strong flavors. Unfortunately, our deck is currently under construction, but once that bad boy is finished, I see many summer afternoons out there accompanied by these gin mojitos.

 RER

6.24.13 

RER 6.22.13