Classic Refreshing Mojito

A mojito is the perfect marriage of mint and lime flavors, lightly sweetened with sugar and made super crisp and bubbly with the addition of club soda. And let's not forget the rum!

Hello, friends! TGIF! Looking for a refreshing adult beverage to unwind with at the end of a long week? Yes? Want something that still relishes in all the good things about summer? You should try this mojito.

I've been older than 21 for quite some time now, and my first encounter with a mojito was just within this past year. I'm kind of shocked at myself! I loooove margaritas, but I wasn't so sure that I liked mojitos.

My mom had this stubborn mint plant that grew on the side of our house and would come back every year without fail. She never made a mojito (to my knowledge), but she did always make fresh brewed unsweetened iced tea and toss some mint leaves in the tea.

Truth be told, that drink was way too bitter for a kid like myself. I had no idea that it was the tea that made the drink taste bitter and not the mint leaves. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have put off having a mojito for so long!

As a bartender, I probably should have had a mojito earlier in my life than my mid-20s. But, I suppose it's better late than never to have your first mojito. With just 5 ingredients, you can whip up this easy and refreshing mojito in a flash! A mojito is the perfect summertime beverage to cool down and get your drank on with. Do the cool kids still say "get your drank on?" No? I didn't think so.

Most of the flavors in a mojito are totally customizable, so if you're not the biggest fan of sweetness you could tone down the sugar. If you're not IN LOVE with fresh mint (who are you?!), then you can add fewer sprigs of mint to your mojito. If you do not like mint or lime, I suppose a mojito isn't the drink for you.

Start off with a few slices of lime and a few sprigs of mint. Add them to your glass, along with either your sugar or simple syrup. In the off chance that you don't have simple syrup on hand, regular granulated sugar will still do the trick. Simple syrup is made from granulated sugar and just ensures the sweetness is distributed evenly throughout.

Next, add a shot's worth of rum (or more if you're feeling frisky.) White rum is best here. I used Bacardi. Muddle together the mint, lime slices, sugar (or simple syrup) and rum together to release the natural oils and flavors from the fresh ingredients. Great news, the hardest part is over. Fill your glass with ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish with another lime wedge and another sprig or two of mint.

There it is, easy as pie! A classic summertime cocktail, made in less than two minutes flat.

Head out to the supermarket and pick up this handful of ingredients to make a nice refreshing drink today! What's your favorite drink to cool down with in the summer?

This recipe was adapted from The Real Mojito recipe.