Mojito

Here's my mojito, a last gasp of summer before cold weather arrives. Some lime, some rum, a crushed handful of fresh mint, a bit of organic Floridian cane sugar, mixed heartily in a martini shaker and poured over ice with a splash of sparkling water to make it fun. This is essentially a mint julep with white rum taking the role of Bourbon.

Want a recipe? Try this. Adjust the proportions depending on how much sweet/sour you want. It's not rocket science, and for my sake, don't use bottled lime juice. Squeeze your own and throw those chopped lime rinds into the shaker along with the other ingredients. Trust me, the flavor is amazing when you do this.

I've enjoyed this cocktail for years, though it has become trendy recently. And while some might grumble over "their favorite secret recipe/restaurant/hangout/movie/band getting popular", I'm glad that others are enjoying the perfect combination of mint, lime, sugar, and rum that is the mojito. It's even showing up in chewing gum these days.