Mojitos

A Refreshing Summer Drink

I am a summer girl at heart!  I love the warm sunshine, the sound of peepers late at night, the smell of honeysuckle, the taste of summertime vegetables and the site of lightning bugs glowing at twilight!  Our backyard has become a haven for all things summer.  Our kids spend hours in the sprinkler, we love to grill on the patio and we savor evenings, sharing meals with friends, gathered around the table on our screened porch. One of my favorite drinks to serve around this time of year is mojitos! The fresh mint and zesty lime capture that summertime feel and pair well with most of what we eat during this season. Years ago I found this recipe in Southern Living and I’ve made it faithfully ever since! Quite often, I’ll omit the tequila so the kids can enjoy, too!

TEQUILA MOJITOS

Makes 5 cups

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 8 min., Stand: 2 hrs

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup fresh mint sprigs

2 cups lemon-lime soft drink, chilled

1 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup tequila

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs, lime slices

Bring 1 cup water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add mint sprigs, and let stand 2 hours or until mixture is completely cool.

Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding mint. Stir lemon-lime soft drink, lime juice and tequila. Serve over ice. Garnish if desired.

Enjoy!