THE WINE AND FOOD REVIEW: MOJITO MADNESS

January is a month that very few people love. It is equivalent to Mondays as the first month of the year. Everyone is hung-over from December festivities. But you have to admire how Kenyans get back on that horse. Then the sun doesn't make it any better. Yesterday I had gone to run some errands at my former campus.( It feels nice to say former). Well i finished everything at about noon. It was insanely hot. For someone who loves all black outfits I never thought I'd see the day when I would curse black clothes.
Now I had to suffer through Thika Road bus rides with their crazy music. I am not a lover of 'riddim' mixes that have the DJ yelling after every verse. Oh dear lord, I should be on a yatch somewhere, sipping mojitos. With the wind on my hair and sand on my feet. The mojito thought made me get through the shitty ride because it was all I could think about.
The classic mojito contains five basic ingredients. If any of these is lacking. Yours is a spin off mojito. White rum, sugar, sparkling water, lime juice, mint leaves. Traditionally people would use sugar cane juice. Mint leaves are hard to get. I have had no luck finding them and as I said my local mama mboga doesn't sell those. I'm thinking of searching in Naivas/ Nakumatt. Some recipes I have come across also use spearmint/ yerba buena. All these are varieties of the mint.
The drink is very refreshing. I took my first one some time last year. Yes I wasn't into this whole cocktail mixing and I didn't even care to know the ingredients. It was at a friends party and I hadn't started this blog yet. Well I remember it being sweet. With the mixture of citrus and rum. Rum is a potent drink but the mint leaves serve to neutralize that effect. Mint has a very fresh aroma. It is advisable to bruise the leaves. Just sort of gently rub them but do not shred them. This will be instrumental in releasing all the mint essence to the drink. This drink has a low alcohol content so you don't have to worry about getting too drunk too fast.
Its Saturday, the sun is out. It is way past mid month so you have no inclination to go for an event. Or you simply have no plans. You have been working hard the whole week. Put on some great music, wear some shorts and sandals, make yourself a mojito. I hope you have rum in the house.
Pay attention...Get these things,
1. 6 mint leaves
2. 0.75 Oz simple syrup( this is just water+sugar in a 1:1 ratio)
3. 0.75Oz fresh lime juice(key word here is fresh. Buy a lime and fresh squeeze it).
4. 1.5Oz white rum
5. 1.5Oz club soda or sparkling water.

Procedure
Get a highball glass. This is the normal tall glass.
In a cocktail shaker muddle the mint, add the syrup and lime. Add the rum.Fill with ice and shake it. Don't strain. Pour in your tall glass. Add club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig. add a coloured straw. Voilla!!