Limes Fly When You're Having Rum

A well crafted Mojito can be a beautiful thing. Tropical yet bracing with a hint of sweet, a wisp of sour and a kiss of mint. Tall, cool and refreshing, it's the perfect quencher on the hottest of muggy summer days. Those are precisely the kind of days when I feel most like a slug however, and slugs don't have the energy (or thumbs) to make a well crafted... anything. What's a thirsty girl to do? Short of hiring a cabana boy (which might get awkward if she doesn't have a cabana), she can quickly mix up the ultimate "Faux"-jito. Basically it's little more than a spiked Italian soda, and I will admit here and now that it will fool no one (unless maybe they've never had a real Mojito before). What my Mojito Syrup does best is to approximate a Mojito. Go ahead and call it a lazy-girl's Mojito. For that is exactly what it is... and I am that lazy girl.

Why am I talking about tropical drinks and heat waves in November? It's because of the 5-pounds of limes I bought of course. I made up a double batch of this Mojito syrup... so that's 6 more limes used up and the last of the fresh mint too (at least until next spring when it will miraculously revive and dominate the side yard once again). Don't ask me how many fake mojitos this makes... I could figure it out, but I don't think I want to know.*


Mojito Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 limes
3-4 sprigs of fresh spearmint

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the limes and set aside. Rinse the mint sprigs and shake off excess water. In a small pot, combine the water and the sugar. Bring to a boil and take the pot off the heat. The sugar should be totally dissolved and the syrup in the pot should be completely clear. Add the peel of three limes and a half cup of spearmint (stems included). Stir a couple times, then cover and let steep until completely cooled. While the syrup is steeping/cooling, juice the three naked limes. Strain the syrup into a jar, strain the lime juice into the same jar, give it a stir, put the lid on it and refrigerate until needed. Shake before using.

Make The Fake

Fill a tall glass with ice and add...

2 T Rum
3 T Mojito Syrup
Top with sparkling water
Add a straw and paper umbrella** (optional)
Put this music on
Get comfortable
Close your eyes
Now take a sip and imagine a light ocean breeze ruffling the tops of the coconut palms your hammock is strung between. . . Repeat as necessary.

Notes: For an equally refreshing non-alcoholic thirst quencher (that also incidentally uses lots of limes) try this Blackberry Limeade from 101 Cookbooks.

*Don't tell me.
**I sent Hubs to the party store to get some paper drink umbrellas once. He came back with a box of 144. That was in 2002... I think it's safe to say that we will never need to buy these again... ever.