I planted a variety of mint called “Mojito,” and how could I resist using it for its intended purpose?!  First a hint: Grow this in a pot; as with most mint, it will take over  your garden.  It’s a very pretty plant, but it is exceeding prolific!

Usually when making a mojito, you muddle the mint with the sugar in a single glass.  That’s great for one-drink-at-a-time drinking, but I was making mine for a dinner party of six.  I wanted a pitcher full, and I didn’t want to have to do such serious muddling.  Instead, my base was a mint simple syrup.  I first boiled 2 cups sugar with 2 cups water, stirring occasionally .  (You could use 2 cups Splenda if you wanted a sugar-free mojito).  Once the water was boiling, I turned it off and put in about 20 mint leaves.  I allowed this to cool completely, and then put 1-1/2 cups of the syrup into a pitcher.  I added 2 cups of light rum and 1-1/2 cups of lime juice.  Yes, I probably should have used freshly-squeezed juice, but I cheated and used Real Lime (and I couldn’t tell the difference).

Once this concoction was stirred, I filled each glass with ice, poured them about 2/3 full of the mint mixture, and then topped each off with ginger ale.  (Sugar-free works here, too.)  Club soda is the traditional topper, but I like the extra flavor from the ginger ale.

I garnished each drink with a lime wedge and some extra mint.  M-m-m-m!

NOTE:  This post is dedicated to Martha!