Mojito Variations

With ubiquity comes variation.  For, as it’s said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  It really makes sense with the Mojito though.  Each of the base ingredients lends its self well to substituion.  Rather than link to a bunch of variations (you all know how to use Google I assume) I’m going to give you some possibilities that you can explore on your own if you so desire.  I’m going to group the mods into categories, namely herbal, additive, spirituous and citrus.  Modding the sugar is also an option, but the choices there aren’t as many or as interesting, so I’ll be skipping those for now.

Herbal: The sky is the limit here.  Raid your herb garden, grocery store or farmer’s market and let your curiosity go nuts.  Some possibles: basil, verbena, rosemary, tarragon, sage, and that doesn’t even begin to touch the hojillion varieties of mint.  Heck, you could even use catnip if you so desire.

Additive: There are lots of things you can add to the base to change up the mix.  Here are a few to get you thinking: ginger, jalapeno, berries (oh man, there’s too many to even mention), other fruits (peach, cherries, mango?).  There are no doubt others, and I’d absolutely love to hear about any you love.

Spirituous: White rum is the classic and for good reason.  It’s smooth, lightly sweet and works fantastically well with the citrus.  For me you’re starting to get outside the realm of modification when you start making a Mojito with a completely different base spirit.  That said, there are lots and lots of rum options out there.  Get creative and more importantly use what you like.

Citrus: Here’s another where the sky is nearly the limit.  Living in Colorado I don’t have as many options as I’m sure some of you do but again, look at your grocery store’s supply and hit up the farmer’s market.  How about key limes or maybe yuzu?  Going to be tasty no matter what route you take.

For every possible flavor combination you come up with there are two more that pop up.  But, in this case, that’s good thing.  Everyone has had a standard Mojito.  So, for your next event mix up something unique and personal.  For this week my variation of choice has been a Basil Blueberry Mojito.  Very tasty.  The basil flavors are a nice change from the mint and the blueberries and lime go together well.

Let me know what you’ve been mixing up!

Basil Blueberry Mojito

1/2 Lime Quartered
2-3 tsp Sugar
10-12 Blueberries
10-12 Basil Leaves
2 oz White Rum
Club Soda

1) Combine basil, limes, sugar and blueberries in a glass
2) Muddle until sugar is dissolved
3) Add rum and ice
4) Top with club soda