Mojito

A basic mojito recipe to get you started:

1.5 ounces light rum

3 fresh mint sprigs

2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

club soda

In a tall, thin glass, crush part of the mint with a back of a spoon to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice, and stir thoroughly. Top with ice, add rum, and mix. Top off with chilled club soda (or seltzer). Add a lime slice and the remaining mint, and serve.

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Bacardi is ramping up the mojito madness by plastering images of the sparkling drink all over the Web and on billboards. Their recipe is somewhat sweeter and employs simple syrup, which some deem cheating:

1.5 ounces rum

12 fresh spearmint leaves

one-half lime

7 ounces club soda

2 tablespoons simple syrup (or 4 teaspoons sugar)

Gently crush mint leaves, and lightly squeeze lime in a cool, tall glass. Pour sweet syrup to cover, and fill glass with ice. Add rum, club soda, and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint.

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Supposedly the original recipe from Havana uses powdered sugar as the sweetening component. While we appreciate the quick dissolving action of confectioner's sugar, the starchy taste can be off-putting. You decide:

2 ounces white rum

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)

4 mint leaves

1 sprig of mint

2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass), and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed), then add the rum and stir, and top off with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

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Mojitos, like margaritas, are a sociable drink to be shared and toasted, so a recipe for multiple servings is handy. We like this one:

1.5 cups (12 ounces) light rum

3 cups (packed) fresh mint leaves

9 tablespoons sugar

half cup fresh lime juice

6 cups club soda

6 cups crushed ice

6 lime wedges

Reserve six mint leaves for garnish. Place remaining mint leaves in medium bowl. Add sugar. Mash with wooden spoon until mint is aromatic and oils are released. Add rum and lime juice, and stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture into pitcher. (Can be prepared two hours ahead; refrigerate.) Add club soda to pitcher; gently stir. Fill each of six glasses with 1 cup crushed ice. Pour mojito over, and garnish each glass with one mint leaf and one lime wedge. Serves six.