The Big Green House

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

 

Scurvy-free in 2003

Around The Big Green House this summer, we�re beating the heat with mojitos. They�re cold, they�re tasty, they�re fairly easy to whip up provided you habitually keep limes in your kitchen (doesn�t everybody?) and they were approved of and consumed by none other than King Lush himself, Ernest �Call me Papa� Hemingway, so�s I can pretend to be all literary and stuff while actually killing off copious irreplaceable brain cells. What could possibly be cooler than that, I ask you in a rhetorical fashion, to which you reply �Alb�ndigas. �No te dije?.� Why you�ve suddenly lapsed into Spanish non-sequitors is something we�ll take up later, �cause right now we�re talking about the wondrous mojito.

There are approximately a gazillion recipes available on Google; you can check it out if you don�t believe me. Here�s how we make �em. You will need:

White rum (We�ve been using Myers Platinum White, but whatever�s handy.)
Lime juice (We�ve found that the juice of one lime per drink is about right. If you want to wimp out and go the half-lime route, I wash my hands of the consequences. Vitamin C is essential to ward off scurvy!)
Fresh mint leaves (Three or four per drink.)
Sugar (By rights, you should make a simple syrup; I am lazy & just crush three sugar cubes. Don�t think less of me. If that�s possible.)
Club soda
Ice

Ready? OK. Most recipes tell you to muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup. Since I�m a lazy sod, as previously stated, I place the mint on top of three sugar cube and crush them with the back of a kitchen knife. (Note: Don�t try this at home, kids! If you are consuming the beverages, it might be best to use a blunt object like a wooden spoon instead.) Put the sugar & mint into a pint glass, pour the lime juice on top, and give it a good stir. Now fill the glass with ice. Add your rum � don�t be shy! Give it a healthy shot to a shot & �. Top with club soda & stir again. (Here�s where the simple syrup would be useful, since it�s gonna incorporate a little easier than granulated sugar.) Drink and enjoy.

Science Girl says that you could probably make a virgin mojito. We have never tested this theory; if you try it and go blind, or your head bursts into flames, or something equally unpleasant happens, don�t blame us.

bmarkey 6/18/2003 09:10:00 PM