Marsha's Classic or Fruity Mojitio And Long Island Iced Tea

Over the years I have made some delicious classic mint and lime mojitos (very refreshing when it's hot), but I have also sweetened things up a bit and made some amazing fruity mojitos as well. Here I will share both recipes with you. Enjoy!

Marsha's Classic Mojito

1/2-1 shot white rum (Bacardi)
2-4 Tbl. white sugar or 1/4 cup simple syrup
8 small mint leaves
Juice of 1/2-1 lime, freshly squeezed
Crushed Ice
Soda Water/Club Soda

All proportions vary depending on your taste, but these are the proportions we like. First you have to decide if you want to muddle your mint leaves in real sugar or crush them with simple syrup. If you use regular sugar, add the juice of your lime to the serving glass, then the sugar, and finally drop in the mint leaves. Muddle (smash with a muddle stick) gently in the bottom of the glass 3 or 4 times to release the mint flavor. Over muddling makes things bitter. Then add your rum and ice; stir. Top off the glass with a splash of club soda. Again, the amount of soda depends on your taste, but I usually add about a 4 oz. or so.

*pick the smallest, newest leaves of mint from the top of the stem for the least amount of bitterness.

If you decide to use simple syrup, I find it easiest to just take my mint leaves, and instead of muddling, I just smack them really good a few times in my hands to release the flavors before adding them to the rest of the ingredients in the glass. Just give them a good spank.

Marsha's Fruity Mojito

1 shot fruit flavored rum
2-4 Tbl. white sugar or 1/4 cup simple syrup
8 small mint leaves
Juice of 1/2-1 lime, freshly squeezed
Crushed Ice
Soda Water/Club Soda
sliced/diced fresh fruit coated in sugar and left to maserate, about a 1/4 cup

The directions for this recipe are almost exactly the same as above, except you will now use a fruit rum instead. Fruit rums tend to be about 1/2 the strength of white rum. We have really loved Cruzan's Tropical Fruit or Black Cherry flavors, but you could use any that you like. Earlier in the day, I will prep some fresh fruit to compliment the drink by slicing/dicing it, covering it in some white sugar, and letting it sit in the fridge to release the natural juices, such as strawberries. I have also sliced a kiwi to make a kiwi strawberry version.

Marsha's Long Island Iced Tea

1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz top shelf tequila
1/2 oz triple sec
1 oz sweet and sour mix
1/4 cup simple syrup (optional)
1 oz cola or to taste (more than a splash)
1 lemon slice

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in all ingredients except cola and lemon slice, cover and shake. Add fresh ice into serving glass (Collins or hurricane) and pour over. Top with cola and stir for iced tea color. Garnish with lemon slice.

*I don't usually like the taste of tequila unless it is subtle/top shelf, so I might sometimes leave this out if I don't have any good stuff on hand. I like my drinks to be sweet, so I add the extra 1/4 cup of simple syrup to mine, but a true recipe doesn't call for it. Adjusting the sweetness just with the cola changes the sweetness AND flavor, unlike adding the simple syrup instead, so that's why I opt for that. But don't kid yourself. This drink has LOTS of alcohol in it, so there's only so much you can do to make it sweet. It's gonna taste like alcohol.