Mojito

1¼ cups
24+ sprigs
¾ cup
18 oz

18 oz
1 whole
16 leaves

simple syrup (1:1)
mint
lime juice (6 to 8 limes)
rum (something like Bacardi gold or dark)

soda or seltzer water
lime (cut into 8 wedges)
mint

• Muddle the mint with a splash of lime.  Be generous with how much mint you use but be gentle when muddling or it will get bitter.  Mix in the rest of 1st set and let it sit and steep for 15 minutes or so.  Strain out and discard the solids, pressing them gently to extract the liquid. Chill the drink mix.
  
• To serve, lightly muddle two mint leaves and a wedge of lime in each glass.  Fill glasses ¾ full with ice and then ¾ full with drink mix. Top with soda and stir gently.
  
• Note:  Keep everything cold to minimize ice melting.  Dark rum will make a darker drink that you can call a "dirty mojito".  I like the flavor with dark rum best so this is what I tend to use.  I like to use cups in the 12oz range and fill right to the top.  Or use a 14 to 16 oz cup and leave a more normal sized space at the top.
  
• Yield:  7 servings (7.4 oz drinks + ice)
• Note:  As of 1/1/14 this is my edited and slightly less sweet version.  This batch, minus the soda, will fit in a normal Nalgene.
  
  

Category:  Drink                                                                                                                                               Modified 1/1/15