Saturdaze: Coconut Mango Mojito

This drink completely screams Miami or any other tropical destination and I love it. It's great for the summer time and pretty easy to make. I got this recipe from How Sweet It Is; a really great food blog with some awesome drink recipes.

image: how sweet it is

Coconut Mango Mojitos

makes 1 mojito, but is easily quadrupled

6-8 fresh mint leaves

2 1/2 ounces of mint simple syrup

1 ounce of coconut rum

1 1/2 ounces of club soda

1-2 ounces of mango puree

the juice of one lime

To make the mango puree, combine 1 peeled + chopped, ripe mango in a food processor (or high speed blender) with the juice of 1 lime, and process until smooth (or at least almost smooth).

In the bottom of a glass, add 1 ounce of simple syrup and the mint leaves. Muddle with a muddler or use the clean bottom of something blunt, like a screwdriver! Add ice to the glass, and pour rum, syrup, mango puree, lime juice and club soda over top. Mix with a long spoon or knife and serve with an additional sprig of mint.

Note: depending on the sweetness of your fruit, you may want to add more/less simply syrup, so I suggest tasting as you go. Same with the rum – add more if you like your drinks strong. Malibu also makes a mango rum that you could combine with traditional coconut rum.

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Saturdaze: Spicy Cucumber Margarita

The only spicy cocktail I remember having was a margarita at this Mexican restaurant in NYC where the rim was salted with cayenne pepper. It was awesome! What I've never had was a cocktail with a jalepeno inside. Let alone, a cocktail with a veggie. With that, I bring you today's Saturdaze post, Spicy Cucumber Margarita, by Bon Appétit Magazine. Not only does it sound interesting but I bet it tastes great! 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

3 cups tequila blanco

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice

1/2 cup triple sec

1 jalapeño, halved lengthwise

Lime wedge

Kosher salt

Sliced cucumber

Directions

Bring sugar and 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let simple syrup cool.

Combine simple syrup, tequila blanco, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, triple sec, and jalapeño, in a pitcher. 

Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours (taste every 1/2 hour or so until spiced to your liking); remove jalapeño.

Rub a lime wedge over half the rim of highball or rocks glasses; dip into kosher salt. 

Serve Margaritas over ice in prepared glasses; garnish with sliced cucumber and jalapeño.

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Saturdaze: Chandon Brut Mojito

Saturdays are all about relaxing with a drink in hand, hence "Saturdaze". To start off this series, I went with a modification of one of my favorite cocktails, the mojito. It's definitely one of my favorite drinks after vodka tonics. I'm not a big fan of sweet cocktails because a good cocktail doesn't need much. Some lime, tonic water, or soda and it's good to go in my book. I found this recipe on Epicurious and thought it was a genius idea. I would've never thought of putting those two together and the recipe is extremely simple.

Ingredients:

7 to 10 fresh mint leaves, plus 1 leaf for garnish

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Juice of 1/4 lime. plus 1 lime wedge for garnish

1 oz rum

Ice cubes

1 oz chilled sparkling wine

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the mint leaves with the Simple Syrup and lime juice.

Using a muddler or the handle of a long wooden spoon, crush the mint.

Add the rum and fill the cocktail shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes.

Cover and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds.

Strain through a strainer or fine-mesh sieve into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Top with the sparkling wine.

Garnish with the reserved mint leaf and a wedge of lime. 

Serve at once. 

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