Recipe: Inside Out Summer Mojitos

Summertime always supplies us with an abundance of mint — and the perfect excuse to make mojitos! Today we're excited to share the recipe for our version, which we like to call "inside out" since we incorporate mint-infused ice cubes into the cocktail.

First we'll need to make the simple syrup. To do this, simply pour 1 part sugar to 1 part water (we used 1 cup of each), stir to combine then place on the stove-top and bring to a boil, continuing to stir until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in handful of mint leaves, stirring to coat. Let steep and cool for at least 4 hours or overnight if you like.

Once syrup is ready, strain and pour into jar for safe keeping and multiple uses. Reserve the mint leaves for your first batch of cocktails.

Now we're ready to make some mojitos!

Place some fresh mint leaves into your glass along with 1 1/2 - 2 ounces (small pour) of your simple syrup and muddle — this will allow the essence of the mint leaves to escape and infuse the remaining ingredients of the drink, which is just one of the reasons they taste so great.

Kitchen tip: make use of what you have. If you don't have a muddler, use the back end of wooden spoon or spatula (like I did, shhhhh).

Next up, grab a couple of those mint-infused ice cubes and drop them into the glass:

 

Pour rum of your choosing into bottom of glass, followed up with a splash of club soda. We went with a dark rum, but a white rum will also certainly get the job done (and is technically the more classic rum to use in mojitos).

Finish with the a squeeze of a lime wedge and toss the rest of it on into the glass.

Now it's finally time to raise your glass in a toast the to the summer and your newly made fresh inside out mojito!

What have you been doing to beat the heat this summer? Any favorite cocktails involving garden herbs in your arsenal?

P.S. Some people have asked how we made those large square ice cubes. We used an over-sized silicone mold we picked up on a recent trip to NYC, but they are pretty easy to find around — here's a link to them in our Amazon shop to get more details. They make those perfectly large sized cubes that go in a single tumbler and give off that old fashioned cocktail feel. Find the full details for making the ice cubes in this post.