Last week, Amy Khuu came to visit. If you know me well, you probably met her; she was here for four nights, so she got to experience my African dance class, my sorority’s keggerskating event (sorry I was such a horrible date, Amy), brunch at the Nasher, hanging in the Gardens, and a zillion other things Dukies love doing on a beautiful weekend. Amy is a student at Syracuse, and we met last semester when she was randomly assigned as my roommate for a semester in Barcelona. We fell madly in love pretty quickly, but I think I knew she was perfect when I tried her mojitos for the first time.
Seriously, we’re perfect for each other. And her mojitos were perfect for us.
We talked a lot about making her fruity mojitos while she was in town for the weekend, but we got more caught up on going to Dame’s Chicken & Waffles and eating loyo to take the time to go grocery shopping. In honor of Amy and her weekend here, I’m going to do a flashback and let you all know how you can make mojitos like the ones we made in Barcelona!
This is a recipe for entertaining – depending on how large your glasses are (and how “thirsty” you are), this will serve up mojitos to 8-10 people! We mixed our mojitos in a stockpot, which was perfect for ladling out the drink later. Line the bottom of the stockpot with mint leaves (remember, don’t just buy mint and dump it in – pick the leaves off the stems), and sprinkle about 2 teaspoons worth of sugar on top. Using a mortar, crush the sugar into the mint leaves. Wash a dozen strawberries, cut them, and throw them in too. Crush them into the mint leaves with the mortar. We tossed in about a cup of watermelon too!
Cut three limes in half, and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Pour in a fifth (750 mL) of your favorite clear rum, and double that amount (1.5 liters) with soda. We used sprite, but that produces a really sweet drink. Traditionally, mojitos are made with club soda or tonic water, and the strawberries and sugar guarantee your beverages will come out sweet and tasty either way!
Serve up your mojitos, and enjoy them as much as we did!