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| RER 6.22.13 |
Summer is officially here and we are swimming in the middle
of a heat wave. It is totally hot hot hot outside, and there is nothing better
to help cool off than a refreshing drink. This weekend, we opted for gin
mojitos— minty, sweet, tart and tangy, smooth, and we mustn’t forget, cold.
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| RER 6.22.13 |
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| RER 6.22.13 |
Earlier that day or the day before, my mother had plucked a
few sprigs of mint, and placed them in a jelly jar with just a little water at
its base to preserve her crop. Once picked, the race is on to use the herb
before it gets too wilty and sad. So of course, we think of drinks. Mint adds
freshness to most everything. Just think of that cool feeling you have just
after you brush your teeth. And when it is super hot, all you want is that
feeling.
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My mom decided on gin mojitos combining more than one summer
staple. Another indicator of summer at our house, other than plentiful
lemonade, homemade iced tea, heaping potato salad and super strawberry
shortcake, is the giant bottle of Tanqueray frosty in the freezer. And on
Saturday we pulled out the green bottle and put it to use. We used a
combination of recipes and improvisation to create our refreshing drinks, but
essentially it was:
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1/2 lime (quartered)
1 to 2 tablespoons of simple syrup
2 to 4 ounces of Tanqueray Gin (depending on desired
strength)
8 to 10 mint leaves
Ice
Seltzer or club soda to cover and fill glass
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First place 2 wedges of lime in preferred glass along with half
of your mint leaves. Muddle to release lime juice and mint oil.
Add in simple syrup, the rest of your lime and mint leaves,
and muddle again.
Put ice in your glass and then pour your desired amount of
gin over the ice.
Fill with plain seltzer and garnish with mint.
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These were delicious, refreshing, light and cold. I really
love the mixture of the tart and tangy lime and the smooth and cool mint, and
the bold gin becomes milder with the other strong flavors. Unfortunately, our
deck is currently under construction, but once that bad boy is finished, I see
many summer afternoons out there accompanied by these gin mojitos.
RER
6.24.13
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| RER 6.22.13 |
