Pineapple Ginger Mojito
My grandmother, a native of Philly, gives me her "Philadelphia" magazines when she is finished reading them. Each month, they feature a recipe created by a chef in one of their reknown Philly restaurants/clubs. This mojito is credited to mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim of the G Lounge. I have to admit that I have never been a big fan of mojitos; however, I was willing to give this a try. After making this yesterday, I am totally addicted. I am going to enjoy drinking these all summer. This is a bit of a pain to prepare and you have to wait four days for the pineapple and rum to fuse, but the result is well worth it. Prep time does not include the 4 days wait on the rum fusion. We used the 10 Cane rum, as the recipe suggested. Also, the recipe notes that you will need to choose a sweeter, gold pineapple and be sure to remove the core completely or your rum will have a bitter aftertaste. This recipe calls for quite a bit of ginger, so DH peeled it and put it in a food processor instead of dicing by hand.
INGREDIENTS
NutritionFor the pineapple infused rum (use 1 1/2 ounces)
- 1large pineapple
- 1
For the ginger syrup (use 1 ounce)
- 2cups water
- 1
- 2cups granulated sugar
For each mojito
- 12 -14leaves spearmint
- 1
- crushed ice
- 1⁄2
- 1
-
DIRECTIONS
- To make the pineapple-rum: Peel, core and slice pineapple and pack into a glass container with a cover. Add rum to completely cover pineapple. Seal container and store in a cool place for four to five days. Taste rum occasionally to check progress. When rum has reached the desired flavor, strain it through a sieve, bottle, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Yields one liter.
- To make ginger syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and ginger to a boil. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain through a sieve, bottle, and refrigerate for up to one month. Yields approximately 3 cups.
- To make mojito: In a 14-oz glass, muddle spearmint, lime juice, and ginger syrup, to release the spearmint oils without tearing the leaves. Fill the glass with crushed ice, and add pineapple-infused rum. Stir the drink to incorporate the flavors and coat the ice. Add more crushed ice, stir again, top with soda water, and stir once. Garnish with a sprig of mint and spear of pineapple.