ID:44786
 
An easy, refreshing summertime drink that tastes good with or without alcohol.

The Mojito is a delicious Cuban drink that's been around for at least several decades. Ernest Hemingway liked Mojitos, but they were probably only tangentially related to his eventual suicide. Here's about as official a recipe as you can get:

http://www.labodeguita.com/recipes.htm

-- though other recipes call for actually boiling up a "sugar syrup" instead of just adding sugar.

Now I'm going to offer you a slightly easier recipe of my own devising. I have tested it many, many times to be sure it is fit for my BYOND friends to drink.

Ingredients:
1/2 lime
about 12 mint leaves (check your local grocer's produce section)
1 12-oz. can 7UP (diet 7UP and Sprite also work well)

Squeeze as much juice as you can from the 1/2 lime. Add the mint leaves to the juice. Dent and crush the leaves with the edge and back of a spoon for a minute or so (this is called "muddling" and it releases the mint flavor). Pour in the full can of pop.

A Mojito without alcohol is called a "virgin Mojito." Older BYONDers can add a shot of light rum before muddling the leaves.

That's it! Enjoy!
Last year on my birthday we made a bunch of mojitos up using fresh mint leaves from the yard, a bunch of fresh limes and lemons, and carbonated lemon water -- turned out really well.
"So whatever happened to Gughunter?"

"Well, he was a Mojito drinker, you know."

"Oh dear."

"Yes...last I saw, he was down at the docks, scamming mint leaves from passers by. You know how it goes."

"Oh my. Well, it's best to remember the man that was. Here's to Gug!"
As if most of us didn't start drinking at like 16 anyways. =p
You can also muddle in some strawberries or your favorite fruit for extra flavor!

I'll have to give this recipe a try. I've always used club soda and simple syrup, but 7UP actually sounds like it would be a lot better.
While we're on the subject of teetotaller mixology, I'm also very fond of mixing tangerine juice, mango juice, and ginger ale in a 1:1:7 part ratio. Very sweet, mind you, but the tangerine juice tries to balance that out. Sprite is a viable substitute for the ginger ale.

It actually bugged me because when I checked the Schweppes website, hoping to find some more alcohol-free ginger ale mixes, the site didn't even give lip service to the possibility; it suggested that everyone should have a wet bar in their basement. =P
Jtgibson wrote:
It actually bugged me because when I checked the Schweppes website, hoping to find some more alcohol-free ginger ale mixes, the site didn't even give lip service to the possibility;

These sorts of alcoholic drinks generally try to disguise the powerful taste of the alcohol. I'm guessing if you just go easy on the stronger elements most alcoholic recipes should taste ok with the alcohol left out.