The idea of a summer cocktail conjures up a frosty glass filled with an icy, boozy libation that is fruity but not overly sweet. My Meyer lemon mojito uses lemons and mint from my garden, but any organic lemons work in this recipe, as would a packet of organic mint – exactly the amount needed here – found in most grocery stores.
Summer winding down and we will celebrate the end of the season with a batch of these over the weekend. Labor Day is just around the corner, can you believe it? Here in San Diego, September can bring us our hottest weather, but the pace of summer will have changed as most of us return to fall schedules and routines.
The dwarf Meyer lemon tree in our garden has served us well since last winter and we have enjoyed a bumper crop of fruit. Our sturdy little tree is winding down, but is in blossom again, so we will have lemons again by early winter. My neighbor shares her year-round Meyers when our tree is not producing ripe fruit, and we load her up with navel oranges during the winter. It’s a great system that allows me to have these beauties most of the year.
So, here is a toast to the mighty Meyer! Mojito recipes are pretty similar, but I liked the mint-infused simple syrup in Gaida de Laurentis’ “Vodka Mojito”. I substituted white rum for the vodka and used Meyer lemons instead of the traditional limes. The mint syrup turned out to be a lemon-lime color, making for a pretty cocktail.
TIP: Make your syrup in the morning and chill in the fridge, along with the rum and club soda.
- Mint simple syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- Mojito:
- 1 cup mint simple syrup, chilled
- 1 cup white rum, chilled
- ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
- 1 cup club soda, chilled
- ice
- mint sprigs, optional garnish
- For the syrup: using a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water and mint leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Strain the syrup. Cover and chill.
- For the mojitos: using a pitcher, combine the mint syrup, rum, lemon juice and club soda. Stir and pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs. Cheers!
I can most definitely see that after a full year of doing a weekly cocktail there is a most decided pattern. Classic cocktails with bourbon, rye and dark rum are de rigueur during the winter months and summer cocktails are fruity and light and refreshing. I’m going to miss making them and will hang on as long as I can!
Love a lemon mojito; mint and lemon were meant to be married!
Me too, Barb, and the summer ones are more fun for me.
Looks delicious Liz! I hope we can hang out and drink these mojitos sometime.
You name the time and place –
Mojitos are one of the few mixed drinks I drink – and my very favorite. I love this Meyer version and will definitely be making it!! Lovely photo!
Larry drank two of these, after a lot of water post-tennis. He is very quiet in his den – LOL.
Oh, and I want to come hang with you and Winnie!
Now this is the drink I would like right now. Happy Friday!
It is time for the group to assemble, mojitos or not.
Miss you – thanks, and grilling your post (not literally) over the holiday next weekend.
Sounds lovely Liz, I tried a mojito for the first time summer, I liked it! I bet your Meyer lemon version would be wonderful. Such pretty glasses!
Thanks, Jayne, those are my mother’s Scottish thistle glasses. I hardly ever use them – worry I might break one.
You’ve inspired me to do a cocktail today. I was honestly considering a mojito anyway, but yours seems perfect so maybe I’ll do a gimlet. GREG
Ooh, a gimlet sounds perfect.
The recipe looks actually very nice. However – it is definitely not a Mojito; it even doesn’t resemble anything, what can be seen as Mojito.
Sorry – a Mojito is never made with lemon, nor with vodka, nor with mint simple syrup.
And it is one specific classic drink – not a drinks category!
I would personally call it something like: Mint Rum Fizz [if shaken] or collins [if built] or fix.
But again, the drink itself looks delicious, simple enough and refreshing!
I so appreciate your critique – as I know very little about these matters. I wanted to feature my Meyer lemons in a cocktail, so I played around with my ingredients. Thanks – maybe I should rename it “Meyer lemon rum fizz”.
Love the photo and cheers to bumper crops of meyer lemons! Have a refreshing weekend Liz!
Thanks, Beth – cheers back at you.
Liz, I will be right over for one of these, whatever you call it!
They were a terrific summer cocktail, it seems, with friends giving rave reviews – I took one sip and Larry enjoyed a couple. Next time, I will save one for me.
Oohhh….big kisses for this one, Liz!
Thanks, Steve – they were a hit with Larry.