Bigly Mojito
Prep
4m
Cook
0m
Total
4m
Bigly says
Sit down for this one. We're doing mojitos. The best mojito I ever had was on a side street in Havana — I've been there, I've been to a lot of places, I have a man who arranges things — and a bartender named Reynaldo built this drink for me in about 40 seconds flat. He didn't say a word. He just slid it across the bar, looked me dead in the eye, and went back to slicing limes. Changed me as a hairpiece. CHANGED ME.
Back in the States — and this is the tragedy of it — most mojitos are TERRIBLE. We put a man on the moon and we still can't get a mojito right. The problem is the mint. The mint. Everybody is doing the mint wrong. They take a bunch of leaves and they BEAT THEM. They take a muddler and they SMASH that mint like they're trying to send a message to the mint's family. And when you bruise mint that hard, you don't release the oils, you release the BITTER. The chlorophyll. The sad green sadness. And then the drink tastes like a lawn. Like an actual suburban lawn. People are paying $16 for LAWN WATER and calling it a cocktail. A crime against the cocktail itself.
The Bigly mojito — the one Reynaldo would approve of, the one the islands invented, the GREATEST mojito ever poured — uses a GENTLE press on the mint. A press. A whisper. You whisper to the mint. You say, mint, release your oils, and the mint listens, because the mint respects you. Then you build the drink right on top of it. White rum, fresh lime, a touch of sugar, club soda. Five ingredients. Cold as a glacier. Greener than anything a chain bar will ever serve you. It's a fact.
Ingredients
- 2 ozwhite rum(a real Cuban-style white rum, not the bottom shelf)
- 10-12 leavesfresh mint leaves(plus a sprig for garnish)
- 3/4 ozfresh lime juice
- 2 tspgranulated sugar(or 1/2 oz simple syrup)
- 2-3 oz, chilledclub soda
- 1 cupcrushed ice(crushed, not cubed, the cubes are for the Old Fashioned crowd)
- 1, for garnishlime wedge
Steps
- 1
Add the mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice to a tall highball or Collins glass.
- 2
Press the mint leaves gently with a muddler 4-5 times to release the oils. Do not smash or grind — just a firm press and release.
- 3
Add the rum and stir briefly to dissolve the sugar.
- 4
Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice.
- 5
Top with chilled club soda and stir gently from the bottom up to integrate, about 3-4 seconds.
- 6
Garnish with a fresh mint sprig (slap it once between your palms to wake it up) and a lime wedge. Add a straw and serve immediately.
One more thing
That is the mojito. The real one. The one the islands invented and Reynaldo perfected and Bigly is now sharing with you, for free, no email signup. You make this on a hot afternoon, you sit somewhere with a view — any view, the view doesn't matter, the DRINK is the view — and you feel like a person who knows what they're doing. Because you do. You're following the Bigly recipe. You're not making lawn water. You're making the greatest mojito ever assembled in a kitchen. Believe me. Tremendous.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Bigly Mojito.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
★ MORE LIKE THIS ★
KEEP COOKING.
The Best Berry Smoothie
A thick, frosty mixed berry smoothie with banana, Greek yogurt, and a touch of honey. Four ingredients to blend, two minutes to drink.
The Greatest Bloody Mary
Loaded Bloody Mary with horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and a heavy garnish lineup. Built in the glass, no skimping on the spice.
Tremendous Chocolate Milkshake
A thick, malt-shop-style chocolate milkshake made with real vanilla ice cream, cocoa, and a pinch of salt. Three minutes, two straws, total knockout.
Tremendous Cosmopolitan
The 1990s classic done right. Citrus vodka, fresh lime, real triple sec, a kiss of cranberry, and a flamed citrus peel over the top.