Mojito

Steps

1. 1

   Add the mint leaves and simple syrup to the bottom of a highball glass. Press down gently and twist a few times with your muddler—just enough to bruise the mint and smell the oils, don't shred the leaves to bits. You'll know you're done when the mint smell hits your nose strongly.

   

   !Muddling too hard shreds the mint and makes the drink taste like grass instead of fresh herb.

2. 2

   Pour in the fresh lime juice and the white rum. Give it a quick stir with your bar spoon to dissolve the syrup into the liquid. The mixture should look like a thin, green-tinted syrup at the bottom of the glass.

   

   !Forgetting to stir leaves the sugar settled at the bottom instead of mixed into the drink.

3. 3

   Pack the glass tightly with crushed ice all the way to the top. The ice should be heaping over the rim if possible, which keeps the drink extra cold and provides the right amount of dilution.

   

   !Using large cubes leaves gaps for the mint to clump up and prevents the drink from getting cold enough.

4. 4

   Top the glass with club soda, pouring it gently over the ice. Take your bar spoon and pull the mint leaves up from the bottom through the ice a couple of times so they're mixed through the drink, not just sitting at the bottom. You'll see the mint spread evenly through the ice when it's done.

   

   !Stirring too aggressively knocks all the fizz out of the soda water.

5. 5

   Add a little more crushed ice to top it off if it settled, then garnish with a generous mint sprig and a lime wheel. Give it one final gentle stir to make sure everything is combined.

   

   !Leaving the mint sprig stem deep in the ice instead of slapping it first to release aroma.