The Perfect Mojito

One of the things Steph and I perfected when I lived in Santa Barbara was the citrus-based cocktail. It turns out the recipe proportions are the same whether you're making a Mojtio or a Lemon Drop, but the Mojito sort of became the Emily & Steph signature drink (to the point that the smell of mint at the farmers' market immediately sends us off to buy limes and rum...).

Below is our mojito recipe. More traditional recipes finish with soda water, but we choose to finish with more rum instead because that's just how we roll... If you want a lighter drink, I would replace half of the rum with soda water. The perfect Lemon Drop has the same proportions, just omit the mint, replace lime juice with lemon juice, and replace rum with vodka...

The Perfect Mojito
   6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
   4 tablespoons sugar
   1 handful of mint leaves (plus a couple sprigs for garnish)
   1 cup rum (we use golden rum because we are rebels)

Combine lime juice, sugar, and mint in a cocktail shaker and mash with a muddler to help the sugar dissolve and to release some of the essential oils in the mint. Add rum, fill the shaker with ice, and shake ~27 times (until very cold). Pour into a highball glass, fill glass with ice, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Serves 2.