Mojito: A Prescription for Summer

By Myrna Rodríguez, La Vitamina T

Did you know Mojito was created as a medicinal recipe? The original pirates of the Caribbean used to drink it to fight scurvy. While mixing lime, water and spices to hide the strong taste of unrefined rum, they stumbled upon this refreshing recipe.

Luckily for us, the production process of rum has been greatly improved. Mojitos, later popularized by Ernest Hemingway, are so sweet and refreshing, that they remain a preferred summer “elixir” around the world.

My favorite mojito recipe  combines the sweetness of rum and sugar with the acidity of raspberry and lime. The mint oils give this antidote for stress its distinctive flavor and refreshing qualities.

Are you wondering what kind of rum to use?  Available rums today hail from tropical and not so tropical destinations and feature different levels of alcohol and local flavors. At the end of the day, the best rum is really the one you like.

¡Salud!

Raspberry Mojito

Ingredients:

• 12 peppermint leaves
• ½ lime (cut into 4 wedges)
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 8 raspberries
• 1 ½ oz white rum
• 3 oz carbonated water

Process:

1. Combine the peppermint leaves, lime, sugar and raspberries in a glass. Muddle with 10 to 15 strokes, just enough to squeeze as much juice out of the lime as possible and to puree the raspberries.
2. Take this same glass with the mint mix at the bottom and fill it up with ice cubes.
3. Add the rum, top the glass with the carbonated water and mix.

Tip: you can create a mix of berries to make it fun and add different flavors.

This article was first published in La Vitamina T.

A business woman by profession, and a mixologist by passion, Myrna Rodríguez holds a masters degree in business and is a certified mixologist. Inquisitive and creative, she keeps up with new techniques, while drawing inspiration from her two grandmothers (one Mexican and one Honduran). Raised and educated in Monterrey, Mexico, Myrna infuses her recipes with Latin American flavors and ingredients, and brings an exciting twist to traditional drinks. Find Myrna sampling food around Chicago, or delighting her lucky friends and acquaintances with Mexican-influenced beverages.