Happy Hour at Home: Mojito

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know I like mojitos. They're so refreshing and tasty, and I like to see how different places make them. They're also quite easy to make at home.
You need:

• 1 to 2 oz. rum
  
• 1 oz. simple syrup (mint-infused is best)
  
• Juice of half a lime
  
• 5-6 mint leaves
  
• Fizzy water (club soda, Perrier, San Pellegrino, whatever)

Muddle (i.e. gently mash) the mint leaves in the first three ingredients, add ice, top with fizzy water and stir to mix.

Traditionally, white rum is used, but dark rum is quite tasty, too. What really makes this drink, for me, is the minty simple syrup. Boil a cup of water, stir in a cup of sugar and then add several springs of mint and let the whole thing cool. Strain out the mint and store in the fridge.

When your mint is buried under winter snow, go to the Asian grocery and get a big bunch for $1.50. Put the stems in a cup of water in the fridge and a plastic bag over the top and it will last a while.