How to Make a Mojito in 3 Easy Steps

The mere mention of a cocktail never fails to bring back memories of my first celebrity crush. Was anyone not in love with Tom Cruise in the 80s? Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never made a cocktail myself. When TheBar.com asked me to attempt making a simple cocktail, I thought, “Why not?”

I do enjoy a glass or two of champagne for special occasions or full-bodied red wine with cheese or red meat, but I rarely drink cocktails I simply do not have the lifestyle that comes with them. I still enjoy it when I have a reason to the sometimes sweet, sometimes fruity drinks with a hint of alcohol and pretty glasses.

In my student days I would find mixologists fascinating to watch. You would shout a cocktail name and they would get to work immediately, without a hint of hesitation. They would pound some mint, drop a few ice cubes into a glass, handle two bottles at once and expertly pour in the exact amount of alcohol needed before adding juice or syrup and shaking the mixture. They would then turn the liquid into a beautifully presented cocktail within seconds.

TheBar.com challenged me to ‘Shake It Up’ with an easy-to-make cocktail and turn one of my get-togethers into something a tad more exciting.

To give myself confidence, I decided to hold my cocktail party at home during a small gathering with friends and family. I asked my friend Cé to help, and she was happy for me to use photos of her making our first mojito.

I was worried making cocktails was not for me, but it turns out even I can make cocktails! It really was a lot easier than I thought, and we added ginger to the original recipe.

Making a mojito at home is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1- Mash it

2- Pour it

3- Serve it

We had a lot of fun and we all enjoyed our mojitos!

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How to Make a Mojito in 3 Easy Steps

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 mint leaves
• 3 lime wedges
• ½ part sugar syrup 25 ml, 1/2 part sugar, 1/2 part water mixed together
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Ice
• 1 part spiced rum 50 ml
• 2 parts soda water 100 ml
• Mint sprig & lime wedges to decorate

Instructions

1. 1-Mash it
2. Throw the mint leaves, lime wedges, sugar syrup and ginger into a tall glass. Using the back of a spoon, mash together to release the flavours.
3. 2-Pour it
4. Load the glass with ice. Pour in the rum and soda water.
5. 3-Serve it
6. Give the cocktail a good stir and serve with a sprig of mint and lime wedges.

This post was written in collaboration with TheBar.com, where you can find more inspiration for cocktails. If you fancy joining the party on social media, use hashtag #LetsCocktail when sharing your creations. Please note that although the photos have tonic water on them, what you should be using to make mojitos is soda water. I realised that quickly after making my first mojito!