Thursday, July 12, 2012

Basil-mint mojitos for a crowd

Well, technically these are for a small crowd, but you can easily make a double batch.

It drives me a little crazy that when I search for drink recipes they are almost always for a single serving. I get it, I do. I'm sure lots of people classily mix themselves a single fancy drink each evening. It's just that I rarely make cocktails unless they're for a party, in which case I have no intention of mixing them individually.

We heard a brief blip about basil-mint mojitos on Good Food a couple weekends ago and our garden happens to be producing both and we were going to a party. Serendipity. I found several recipes online (all for single servings), started scaling up and adjusting the proportions and we ended up with something pretty amazing. It's a little more herbaceous than the standard mint-only mojito and I added more rum and took the sugar down several notches. You can adjust for your own taste, of course, but I think this is a good start.

basil-mint mojitos
{basil-mint mojitos}

Basil-mint mojitos (makes just under 7 cups, serves 8 tipsily)

about 3 cups basil + mint, loosely packed
1/2 cup superfine sugar (or regular, but superfine dissolves well)
3.5 cups light rum
2 cups fresh lime juice
sparkling water (about 1 cup, possibly a bit more)

Muddle* sugar and herbs with a small amount of rum.
Add remaining rum and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
Strain the herbs out, stir in the lime juice.
Add sparkling water to taste and serve over ice.

We've made them twice already and I've severely depleted our basil. I think that means I didn't plant enough.

muddling
{muddling}

* Muddling is just crushing the herbs to release the flavor. I have a really ugly muddler that I got free with a handle of rum years ago and it works perfectly fine. If you don't have one, I'd try using a wooden spoon instead (and then maybe go buy yourself a muddler). The point is to crush, rather than cut. 


28 comments:

  1. ooo these look so delicious and refreshing for summer! thanks for sharing!
    xoamy
    www.cupcakesncouture.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yums! How do you feel about purging craft supplies WHILE drinking these? I did that last Friday with our mint from our farm share. It seems that you and I are doing a bicoastal Clean Out and Drink Up without even coordinating it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! Great minds. These were actually our post decluttering reward last week.

      Delete
  3. Looks AMAZING!!!!! I love mint & basil! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am obsessed with herbs in my cocktails these days. I made a ginger mule over the weekend that was ridiculously tasty. Can't wait to try this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am OBSESSED with ginger mules. Haven't made one yet this summer, but I will be getting on that soon.

      Delete
  5. the one benefit of having to scale single-drink recipes for parties: getting to bust out one's rusty old home-ec measuring skillz ("three teaspoons make a tablespoon, a cup is eight ounces, eight dashes equal a teaspoon...). what? i like fractions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My problem is that my fractions go downhill after the first drink.

      Also, I cheat. I totally have this fridge magnet with all the conversions on it. So handy.

      Delete
  6. Yum! I'm thinking of making this for an upcoming Bachelorette Party in Palm Springs - how ahead of time do you think that I could make these? 24 hours?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We made them for a Saturday afternoon party and then drank the leftovers a couple days later and they were perfectly fine! The only thing I would recommend is waiting to add the sparkling water until shortly before serving. But even if you add it ahead of time, it will still be delicious (just a bit more flat).

      Delete
  7. I made something similar recently with lemons, gin and just basil, and you really couldn't taste the basil, but I see by your amounts that I was using WAY too little and not enough muddling. I think limes go better with basil, too. Ok, trying this again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 3 cups was just what I happened to toss into the glass measuring cup as I was picking (all the recipes I found mentioned sprigs or leaves and I never know how to judge that - I don't know what size they're talking about), but I think it ended up being the right amount. I think when the herbs are getting strained out you end up needing more than you think you might, because all that's left behind are the aromatic oils.

      Gin and basil sounds really tempting right now ...

      Delete
  8. I make 'breakfast mojitos' all the time. Alas they do not sound as exciting as your delicious sounding recipe... Mine involves blending a bunch of green leaves (spinach, kale, cos), an apple, a cucumber, then adding a massive squeeze of lime and a handful of mint leaves. It's totally delicious and healthy, but maybe not quite as exciting as yours!!
    I will have to try adding some basil sometime!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the idea of adding basil to mojitos. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. love the basil and mint combo! A double or triple batch will be happening this weekend with visitors. side note, i've been lurking (admiring) your space here for the last thirty minutes - seriously, beautiful. Thoughts, photos, etc. Happy to find you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These sound so delicious and refreshing! Any time basil is added to a drink I'm so on it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for the recipe! my fiancé loves mojitos!

    Lau

    http://fallinlove.com.ar/?lang=en

    ReplyDelete
  13. I made these this last weekend for friends who pronounced them "the best mojitos ever". The only problem was I'd "only" made a double batch!

    ReplyDelete
  14. These sound amazing! I love the idea of making them for a crowd. Seems like just the way they ought to be shared.

    ReplyDelete
  15. So refreshing!! I like to add strawberries when adding basil as well! Love your blog!
    xx, alisia e
    http://alisialynn.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. I really loved how you bottled the drinks up. I can't wait to try this, especially with all the basil and mint I have growing on my deck!
    http://light-andsweet.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  17. I made them this weekend for a bachelorette party and they were a hit! Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looks delicious!

    xL

    http://themarcystop.blogspot.com/2012/08/8020-shoe-giveaway.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. I just bought ingredients today for mojitos - they are my hubby's fave. I can't wait to try this basil version!

    ReplyDelete
  20. i can't wait to make this for our engagement/garden party this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  21. very interesting! i like mojito, but i dont know basil vsriety.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Can't wait to try this version of a mojito! Love your blog! xo

    ReplyDelete

Trying captchas this time - better or worse than having to log in to comment? Let me know! Sorry for all the hoops but the spam has been terrible lately!