Drink 105: Muddle Buddies

Looks as good as it tastes

Today we have the Mojito, a mixture of rum, lime, sugar, club soda, and mint.   The Mojito was the “it” drink of Los Angeles in 2001.   It was the go-to drink in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2008.  That means it is due to be the hot drink of Indiana sometime late next year.  Get ready, Hoosiers, because it is tasty.  The Mojito has the longest history of any drink we’ve tried, with a precursor dating all the way to the 16^th century.   That makes it a little odd that the Mojito was named one of the 25 most influential cocktails of the past century.  It throws the whole list into doubt.  I now have no choice but to question how much influence the Gin Gin Mule actually has.

Enough with the facts, let’s have some commentary.  The Mojito is a great drink.  I can see why people have been drinking it in some form for almost 500 years.   That is real staying power. I seriously doubt that in the year 2525, if man is still alive, he will choose to drink a Canal Street Daisy.   If woman can survive, she won't want one either. Of course, by the year 2525 woman will be killed at the age of 29 in the fiery ritual of Carrousel, so she will have bigger things to worry about but she will still want a Mojito.

Why is the Mojito so good?  Because mint and lime is really a great combination that helps balance out the sweetness of the sugar and rum.  I have read that some people add angostura bitters to cut the sweetness.  I guess those folks didn’t think to just put less sugar in the drink.  The Mojito also gave Mrs. Bottle another chance to muddle some mint.  Muddling makes her so happy I’m going to start drinking a Mojito every morning.  That way we will both start off the day with smiles on our faces.

Earliest known painting of a Mojito
and its inventor Richard Drake

Overall Rating for the Mojito

Taste: 5

Presentation: 5

Ease of Preparation: 2

Drinks Until Blackout: 9 – 12% Alcohol

Ingredients

2 oz Light Rum

2 tsp Sugar

1 Lime, halved

2 Sprigs Fresh Mint

Club Soda

"My God, it's full of bubbles"

Back by popular demand, we continue our semi-regular TBIAW feature where we ignore our premise of making a Mr. Boston drink each day and instead review a drink (or two) from a local establishment.  And by “popular demand” I mean “Mrs. Bottle demands we actually do something outside the house.”  I was willing to bow to the will of the people.

You may recall that last week we went to a local Mexican restaurant.  We wanted to mix it up this week, so instead of going to a local Mexican restaurant, we went to a chain Mexican restaurant.  I am looking forward to next week when we go to Taco Bell.

I have friends who decry chain restaurants as soulless pits of mediocre food that cater to the lowest common denominator.  To those friends I say, “oh yeah?” I probably need to improve my retorts.  Regardless, we enjoy their food and there happens to be one near the Bottle Wonderland estate so it is quite convenient as well.  We enjoy eating at the bar for enhanced people watching.  One area where On the Border is definitely above average is the margarita menu.  They have around a dozen different selections and several are very good.

His and Hers



Mrs. Bottle chose the Perfect Patrón Margarita, which is a mixture of Patrón Silver, Patrón Citrónage, and angel tears.  It is sweeter than a “classic” margarita, but not overly so.  It really is the baby bear of sweetness and it is the standard by which we measure all other margaritas.  It comes in at around $10 but it is worth it.  If you eat four or five bowls of the free chips and salsa you are actually getting quite a bargain.   



Artist's Rendition

I usually order the Perfect Patrón as well but I went a different way and got the Mexican Mojito instead.  According to the menu it is 1800 Silver Tequila, Cointreau, mint, agave nectar, and a splash of soda.  In other words, it is a margarita with mint and fizz.  I felt like kind of a tool ordering a mojito but, like any great scientist, I was willing to risk my reputation in the name of research.  The risk was worthwhile as the drink actually turned out to be quite good.  The mint was noticeable but subtle and the carbonation was a nice touch.  As an aside, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love carbonation. Carbonation makes everything taste better, much like deep frying does. I recently learned that there are taste receptors for carbonation and my tongue must be loaded with them. 

So now that you are thinking about my tongue, I bid you adieu.