How To Make Mint Simple Syrup: A Few Tips
The simple syrup process is so simpleonce you do it once, you can memorize it and make it on repeat! Heres what to know:
- Use equal parts water and sugar. We used ½ cup of each in the recipe below, which makes 10 tablespoons. For us, thats plenty for a specialty ingredient. But you can certainly make bigger batches for entertaining, etc.
- Bring to a simmer with mint, then remove heat and sit for 20 minutes. The main concept behind a flavored simple syrup is letting the herb steep at room temperature in the warm syrup. Youll be surprised at how much flavor infuses in just 20 minutes.
- Strain and refrigerate. Technically you could leave the herb in the jar , but its easiest to work with when you strain it out. Refrigerate for up 1 month!
Sipping A Tall Mojito Cocktail Is An Easy Way To Beat The Heat
The best Mojito recipe originated at a famous hotel bar in Havana, Cuba where they certainly know how to cool off. And while the mint Mojito drink is certainly one of Cubaâs most famous creations, other great cocktails originated there, including the Cuba Libre and the Daquiri.
The island of Cuba is known for its hot, humid, tropical weather. James Bond can seen sipping a Mojito beachside in the movie Die Another Day. After all, what better way to escape the heat than a cocktail made from local ingredients such as sugar cane, rum, and lime?
How To Make A Mojito
1. Make the simple syrup. Add all ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. .
2. Cool the syrup. transfer the contents to a small glass jar and place in the refrigerator to cool.
3. Rim the glasses. Combine the sugar, flaky sea salt, and lime zest on a plate. Rim both glasses with a lime wedge, then coat the rim with the sugar mixture and fill with crushed ice.
4. Combine the ingredients. In a cocktail shaker or glass jar, lightly muddle the mint with a cocktail muddler or the back of a wooden spoon until aromatic. Add the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, a handful of ice cubes and shake.
5. Divide into glasses. Strain into the two glasses, top with a splash of seltzer water and garnish with lime slices and more mint.
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Simple Syrup Has So Many Uses
If you HAVENT made simple syrup youre probably wondering what, exactly its used for and Im here to help! You may have noticed it at a coffee bar, which is the first place I discovered it. When the water/sugar mixture cools it can be used just like a traditional sweetener but even better. Simple syrup adds sweetness without that layer of granules left at the bottom of your cup or glass. This is especially lovely in cold drinks like iced coffee and unsweetened iced tea, where those pesky granules never seem to fully dissolve.
But dont stop there! You can use it in cocktails, to make lemonade, to brush on cake layers to keep them from drying out, and of course in popsicles.
Strawberry Mojito Pitcher Recipe
If you’re looking to make this for a crowd, here’s how you would transfer this recipe. These measurements are based on a 64 oz. pitcher, therefore it would make around 8 cocktails.
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Questions You May Have
What alcohol is in Mojito?
Rum! To make mint mojitos you will need your favorite brand of white rum.
What is Mojito Mint?
A mojito is a traditional Cuban Highball. The drink originated in Cuba when the quality of rum was not the greatest, so they discovered a way to make it taste better!
Can you make a mojito with mint extract?
In the world of mojitos, fresh mint is always best and always recommend. However, when in a bind, yes, you can try mint extract as a substitution.
What is the difference between a mojito and a mint julep?
While the Mojito comes from Cuba, the Mint Julep comes from the southeastern United States.
The main different between the two is the type of alcohol used. Mojitos call for white rum while Mint Juleps call for bourbon.
Can you have a mojito without mint?
Yes! Although mint is the most common and most popular flavor for a mojito, you can use:
What Ingredients Are In A Virgin Mojito Recipe
- Sparkling water
Fresh lime juice makes this drink bright and flavorful, but you can totally cheat if you want to make pitchers for a crowd, or just dont feel the desire to squeeze limes.
Using a quality limeade is a great substitute for the lime juice and the simple syrup combo. Use 1/4 cup of limeade in lieu of the fresh lime and honey syrup. When I buy limeade I love Newmans Own brand because it tastes fresh and has a great lime flavor.
We use plain sparkling water that we make in our Soda Stream, but feel free to use your favorite sparkling water. Want to use a flavored sparkling water? Go for it! I would stick with lime or lemon, but thats just me.
Technically you could also use ginger ale or a lemon-lime flavored soda in lieu of the sparkling water, but Im in the camp of why add more sugar when it isnt needed.
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How To Make A Mojito:
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Muddle: Were making a mint mojito pitcher recipe, so this will be enough to fill a pitcher. This recipe should serve 8, unless you like bigger portions.
Youll start by adding plenty of fresh mint leaves to a pitcher along with some sugar and lime wedges. Muddle them together.
Muddling just means crushing the leaves of the mint with the sugar and fruit. Heres a great cocktail muddler! Do this just until you smell the mint. Dont over muddle your mint or things will start to taste funky.
Mojito Mix: Finally you can pour the club soda and your preferred brand of white rum right into the pitcher. Give it a quick stir and serve these mojitos over plenty of ice and garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired.
A nice refreshing mojito drink is best enjoyed out by the pool or on the beach!
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Why Youll Love This Mojito Recipe With Simple Syrup
There are often a few shortcuts you can use when making famous cocktails like this classic Mojito cocktail.
- The traditional way to make a good mojito is to use real sugar, but youll get the same delicious taste using simple sugar.
- Using simple syrup makes for an easy Mojitos recipe, which means you make them faster.
- If youre making a pitcher of Mojitos, simple syrup is the way to go!
- Perfect for happy hour, a backyard BBQ or sipping by the pool.
- This Mojito is a refreshing summer drink.
Want more refreshing drinks? Check out this list of our favorite summer cocktails.
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Easy Mint Mojitos Recipe
We all know what happens when life gives us lemons, but do you know what to do when life gives you limes?
You make mojitos!
Mojitos are one of the most famous cocktails and like most cocktails, its actually pretty simple to make!
So get ready to mix things up! In no time, you are going to have a refreshing glass for one or a pitcher to share!
What Is Simple Syrup
Plain simple syrup is an easy way to sweeten drinks. It combines sugar and water together into a sweet syrupy substance that you can mix into cold drinks with ease.
Its important in tons of cocktails, from the old-fashioned to the , but it has lots of delicious uses.
Its also delicious in warm drinks, like hot cocoa and lattes, because it doesnt take as much stirring to blend into the drink. You can even serve it over ice cream.
Cake decorators will often use simple syrup to flavor and moisten cakes before decorating.
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Quick Tips And Tricks For Making The Best Mojitos
- Prep your ingredients before mixing the pitcher. This means juicing your limes and making simple syrup beforehand.
- Double or triple the recipe! While this Mojito Pitcher recipe makes six drinks, you might be hosting friends who want more than one drink. If so, make a second pitcher and leave out the club soda until its go time.
- Purchase good lime juice or squeeze your own. The shelf stable bottled stuff wont cut it for this Mojito Pitcher.
- Add extra mint for garnish! Not only is it beautiful, but it adds a lovely scent as you sip!
- Dont over muddle the mint. Mint is a delicate herb, and the point of muddling is to get the leaves to release their oils, which provides flavor in the mojito. If you muddle them too much, they could become bitter.
- Make the mint flavor extra strong by making mint simple syrup. To do this, follow the instructions on how to make simple syrup and throw in a bunch of mint when the sugar has dissolved. Let it steep for 30-45 minutes before straining the mint out.
The Best Mojito Recipe
Here is all you need for the perfect mojitos: mint-infused simple syrup, white rum, fresh mint, limes and I highly recommend a muddler. Club soda is optional sometimes I just use water.
Then when youre ready for a refreshing summer drink, heres what you do.
If you want to make a larger batch, it basically boils down to this: Mix thoroughly 2 parts simple syrup to 1 part lime to 3 parts rum. Pour in a tall glass over ice, add a splash of club soda, garnish with mint and lime, and serve!
Yes, I realize that mojitos arent intended to be made in bulk. But if you want to make a few at a time, I wont turn you in to the mojito police.
Love this mojito recipe??? Check out my other popular cocktail recipe posts!
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How To Make Mint Syrup
Making homemade simple syrup truly is one of the easiest ways to add flavor to DIY beverages. It requires only a saucepan and a little simmering before you have a wonderful sweet syrup.
Combine water, sugar, and fresh mint sprigs or leaves in a saucepan. Bring the saucepan to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Let it simmer for about two to three minutes it doesnt need to be at a rolling boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the simple syrup cool slightly with the mint in the syrup. Taste-test it to see how strong the mint flavor is. The longer the mint steeps in the syrup, the more flavor will infuse, so let it sit until your taste buds are happy.
Strain the mint leaves from the syrup using a fine mesh sieve. If any smaller pieces remain, you may need to use a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to remove them.
How Much Alcohol Is In A Mojito
A mojito is typically known for being a relatively light cocktail.
This recipe calls for 4oz of white rum, so there are about 2 ounces in each serving. Take a look at the alcohol content on the bottle of white rum you are using to get the exact alcohol content.
If you are making a mojito with 80 proof rum, its about the same as drinking 1 glass of wine.
*As always, when you are drinking, please drink responsibly*
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You Can Flavor Your Simple Syrups Too
When using simple syrup in recipes it is typically unflavored, so as not to compete with the other ingredients. But there are times where infusing the syrup adds to and enhances the flavor in a recipe, and it can be fun to experiment! Ive made lavender and ginger simple syrup recipes, along with lime and vanilla. But I only recently made a mint syrup, and now love having it on-hand!
Tips For Success For An Easy Mojito Cocktail
How to make a mint Mojito with fresh ingredients? Its pretty simple, really.
- Use a cocktail muddler to help mash the mint leaves to release the oils from the plant.
- Dont use a Mojito mix. They contain many chemicals and plenty of sugar, and you dont get the fresh, authentic taste.
- Muddling should be done gently. No need to destroy the leaves and have specs of green floating in the drink, making it hard to swallow go easy.
- Place freshly cut mint leaves in a glass
- Add the simple syrup
- Gently muddle to release the mint oil
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How To Make Mojito Simple Syrup:
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A Note On The Sugar To Use
You can use any type of sugar for simple syrup! Heres something to consider about different types of sugar:
- Granulated sugar is the most processed type of sugar, but when it comes to sugars: they all are chock full of sugar and calories! White sugar makes a clear-colored simple syrup.
- Organic cane sugar or coconut sugar also work. Since they are browner in color than white sugar, they turns the simple syrup a yellow brown color. This isnt an issue with flavor, but it does change the color the drink.
- Brown sugar isnt usually used for simple syrup because it comes out very dark and has a subtle molasses flavor. You could certainly use it, but it would work better with winter drinks .
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How Did I Learn To Make The Best Mojitos
My easy technique comes from a bartender I met when we were on vacation in the Caribbean. He showed me that they prep a mojito simple syrup with mint and lime which ups the flavor in mojitos. You still muddle together some fresh mint and lime the old fashioned way, but adding in that mojito simple syrup elevates the flavor to a new level!
Classic Mojito With Mint Simple Syrup Recipe
When I think about my summer romance with this tall Cuban cocktail, I hear the Black Eyed Peas lyrics, youre so 2000 and late
As the mother of two teens and a young adult, Im resigned to retrograde status. So, yes, I admit I came late to mojitos. The cocktails popularity peaked several years ago.
But really. Classic cocktails dont go out of style, do they? This cooling mix of mashed mint, lime juice and white rum isnt going to go gentle into that good nightjust because the mixological crowd moves on to the next shiny cocktail shaker.
Youll find lots of mojito recipe variations. Sweeteners range from pure sugar cane juice, to simple syrup to granulated sugar.My extra minty mojito incorporates a mint-infused simple syrup.But in a twist on the dirty mojito, I also add a tiny bit of Demerara sugar to the mint leaves as I muddle. I find this extra grit helps release more of the mint leaves flavorful essential oilsand the raw sugar also adds just a hint of molasses to the drink.
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Strawberry Mint Mojito Without Simple Syrup
May 20, 2022·
This strawberry mint mojito recipe without simple syrup is so crisp and refreshing, and so easy to make! You’ll love sipping on this strawberry and rum cocktail recipe all summer long.
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