Muddle your way to a magnificent mojito

The word “muddle” has a negative connotation.
   It implies that a person messed something up or that he or she did something half-fast.
   But there’s a time when muddle is a lovely word, a brilliant word: When you’re making a mojito.
   Muddling is key to the success of this cocktail. Muddling releases and blends the lime and mint flavors that are the trademarks of the mojito.
   You can muddle with a special tool, appropriately called a muddler, or the end of a wooden spoon. To muddle, you push on the limes and mint. It’s a great way to let out stress or frustrations.
   Mojitos took the food world by storm a couple of years ago.
   You know it’s a popular drink when you go to the supermarket and the mint is labelled “mojito mint” as if it has no other purpose.
   I’m rather fond of my mojito-making technique. It seems to produce consistently good cocktails.
   Here’s how I do it (makes one mojito):
- Put seven fresh mint leaves in a tall glass. Add one tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lime juice, and put the squeezed section into the glass. I find that half of a decent-sized lime yields about one tbsp of lime juice.
- Add two teaspoons of sugar (or Splenda), and muddle until the sugar dissolves.
- Fill glass with ice.
- Add 1 ½ oz. white rum.
- Top with club soda and stir to mix.
- Serve with a straw.
You will have muddled your way to a party after producing a few of these!