Mojito Season

Few cocktails inspire as much love from customers and as much dread from bartenders as the mojito. The drink traces its roots to the 1500s Caribbean, where an early version called "El Draque" combined aguardiente, lime, sugarcane, and mint - a combination that has barely changed in five centuries. The drink was refined in the mid-1800s when ice and carbonated beverages became accessible. Today it remains one of the most ordered warm-weather cocktails in the country, and for good reason. When made properly, a mojito is bright, refreshing, and perfectly balanced.

The trouble is that most mojitos are not made properly. There are two non-negotiable rules. First, a mojito belongs in a Collins or pint glass - never a rocks glass. The drink needs room for ice, soda, and the mint to breathe. Second, you must muddle correctly. Gentle presses to release the oils from the mint - 95% of citrus flavor is concentrated in the peel, and muddling releases those essential oils. Do not grind aggressively or you will turn the leaves into bitter green confetti. The build: about 8 mint leaves (a three-finger pinch), half a lime quartered, and 1 teaspoon superfine turbinado sugar. Note that turbinado must be pre-ground in a food processor or coffee grinder because regular grains will not dissolve. If you want to elevate things further, try rhum agricole for a grassy, more authentic base - the winning recipe at our blind tasting used 4-year Barbancourt from Haiti.

The recipe debate is part of the fun. At a blind tasting we ran, the crowd-favorite version was not the traditional build but the "Dirty Mojito" - a riff that swaps rum for Irish whiskey, lime for lemon, and sugar for honey. It should not work, but it does. The creator was bar manager Matt Perkins at Cedar, 822 E St NW in Chinatown. The takeaway for bartenders is that understanding the structure of a classic gives you the freedom to reinvent it confidently.

If you are behind the bar this summer, make peace with mojito season. Stock up on mint, keep your sugar fine, and practice your muddle. Your guests are going to order them regardless - you might as well make the best one they have ever had.