Ginger mojito

Give the classic cocktail a wonderful flavor kick! This ginger mojito is really easy to make and perfect to make in small or larger quantities.

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I first had a gingery twist on the classic rum cocktail many years ago in New York. I was visiting the city as a friend had moved there, but in between booking and the trip, it turned out I had a semi-interview at the same time. A couple months later, I moved to NYC myself for a few months. 

During the visit, we packed in as much as we could, including visiting some pretty great bars. One place I remember for two things: the delicious mojitos, especially the ginger ones, and the colorfully decorated bathrooms with stereo-sound music playing in them. Odd memories, I know, but there it is.

Anyway, much as I loved those cocktails, they were made with chunks of fresh ginger. Not that I have anything against fresh ginger, of course. In fact it's something I can never be without in my house, whether it's for chicken satay, Vietnamese beef stew (bo kho) or other favorites.

However, finely chopped ginger in the drink meant you either had to sift out the bits as you drank with your teeth, or got some really sharp mouthfuls.

I have meant to make a version of them myself for a while, but somehow didn't get round to it until relatively recently. I wanted to avoid having bits that made drinking them tricky, but also didn't really want to go down the ginger ale route. Nothing really against it, but some taste a little artificial or too sweet.

So, in comes the wonderful ginger syrup I shared recently. The great thing about using the syrup is you can make these drinks as gingery as you like, or not. You can also make just one drink or a larger batch without any extra effort. Well, apart from planning ahead and making a larger batch of ginger syrup, that is.

Tips for making this twist on the classic Cuban cocktail

With this method, you need a little advance prep to have your syrup ready ahead of time. But, once it's made you can store it for a week or two in the fridge.

Then you simple muddle together the syrup, rum and lime juice with the mint leaves and shake with ice. Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice and top up with soda water.

Some of the other mojitos I have shared, like my grilled peach mojito (REALLY good in the summer, by the way) leave the mint in there, but sometimes that's because there's also chunks of fruit you might nibble on the way, so the mint goes well.

Here I have strained the drink, as often happens with a classic mojito, so it's really easy to drink without 'bits'. Don't worry, though, you still get plenty flavor. You also don't need a fancy cocktail strainer (as you can see I don't here).

This ginger mojito is a wonderfully bright twist on a classic cocktail. The sweet-sharp kick from the ginger pairs perfectly with the fresh mint and makes a refreshing combination. It's perfect for a warm day, or really whatever excuse you want to find. Enjoy!

Try these other easy twists on classic cocktails:

• Strawberry St Germain gin and tonic
• Blueberry French 75
• Strawberry bellini
• Champagne mojito
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.
• If you like ginger, you might also like to take a look at this collection of ginger cocktails from Imbibe as well as my ginger whiskey smash.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.  In many locations, you can have wine, spirits and more delivered to your door with Drizly.

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