Drinks Ahoy! Mojito & The Sofia

Coulda sworn I parked the houseboat right here...

Summer is upon us again, and it's time to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes, drinking outdoors (preferably within eyesight of a large body of water). I start thinking about fresh briny oysters, sunsets over the ocean, and just getting everyone completely sauced entertaining with style.

I can't help it, it's in my blood. Being born on Nantucket, and having learned to sail before I could walk, I know a thing or two about Sperry Topsiders, shellfish and great excuses to get tanked before sundown. My family has been doing that for 5 generations on the island, long enough to get us noted several times in this little book:

I just love plaid, don't you?

If you really need to know what being waspy and preppy has to do with my credentials as the undisputed connoisseur and dispenser of cocktails, let me muddle this one up for you. Where I "summer," people you sometimes have to invite over will act like this...

We're just pretending to like you dear...

and like this...

I love these socks!

Mustering enough aplomb to stomach a jackass guest like "Monty" (freakishly blond eyebrows, above, left) without turning into an emotional wreck requires a steady flow of booze, and a party boat on autopilot; this way you can navigate the social waters with a perceived minimum of effort. You want to spend quality time with your actual friends (not the ones you invited to get that recommendation for the yacht club), and make sure the libations flow with no fuss. If your friends see you working hard, they naturally want to help, and then they can't relax either.

Hiring a bar tender is not suave at a casual affair, it seems over-planned, and, dare I say it, stuffy? Also, are you going to trust an Old Fashioned to some schmo you hired from a caterer? For all you know he became a bartender to "score with the ladies", and secretly has no idea what he's doing.

Wait, wait, so it's rum, and then the coke?

So in the spirit of the great Mr. W.S. Archibald, my grandfather, who could simultaneously shuck a quahog, mix a martini and pretend to listen to "Monty" without breaking a sweat; I give you two simple yet elegant drinks to help keep your party on a steady course.

Gastroliason's Social Mojito
Mojitos, while delicious, are a labor intensive drink, so the key here is to do the hard work ahead of time. This means using a pitcher to mix up a batch of them before the guests arrive. That way you avoid any fussing about at the bar, and please don't pour in soda ahead of time, let's keep things fizzy, ok?

This will make about 16 drinks. These should taste of citrus, with a clean, cool mint feel, balanced nicely by the sugar, this is not a super sweet drink (not when it's made right anyhow).


Shopping

• 750 ml Barcardi Limon Rum (the Limon really lends a nice complex citrus note, trust me, but plain Bacardi is just fine in a pinch)
• 5 good handfuls of mint leaves
• 10 Limes (cut into wedges) or 30 key limes, halved
  
• 3/4 cup of sugar or 16 oz of simple syrup (don't add to much, you can always make it sweeter later)
• 1 liter of Club Soda
• Ice, lots of it (really, can you have too much at a party?)

Equipment

• Muddler, or a sturdy wooden spoon
  
• Pitcher (try to get a nice one as you'll be serving from it)
  
• Either some good tumblers (taller than a rocks glass) or highball glasses (tall + skinny)

On Nantucket, this is done by my guest of a guest

How
I like working in batches using a pint glass (its easier to muddle in the short glass as opposed to a deep pitcher). It’s especially nice when you recruit friends to do this part...

Squeeze some limes, drop them in, add some mint and sugar (or syrup) and a little rum (just to keep it loose) and mash away. You want to release the oils from the lime skin and the mint.

Pour that into a pitcher. Keep going until you finish.

Add the rest of the rum. Stir and let it sit.

When it’s serving time, you may want to strain the mix. Depending on how long it will sit, the mint may oxidize and turn dark, and some people don’t like all the mash in the drink, it's up to you. If you strain it though, I recommend garnishing with lime slices and fresh mint leaves. It looks great.

Now can pour in the soda into your mix.

Fill your guests glass, and garnish with a lime slice, a mint sprig or a bunch of fresh mint leaves, whatever you like.

Download the printer friendly PDF

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The Sofia
A true party pleaser, this drink is super flexible. I first made this for a large crew in the art deco Sofia Condominiums in Manhattan. Served on the rocks, it's essentially a martini, with complex citrus and cucumber notes. Mixed with club soda, its a refreshing cocktail. Throw in a little sprite and its perfect for the sweet crowd. Again, this requires muddling, so grab your trusty friends and direct away.

Shopping

• 750 ml Vodka (don't skimp, get something good, Chopin, Grey Goose, Kettle One or similar).
  
• 8.5 oz simple syrup (potentially more if you prefer)
  
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled and rough chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin, for garnish
  
• juice of 3 lemons
• 1/2 a bunch of seedless white grapes
  
• Club Soda
• Sprite or 7up
  
• Ice

Equipment

• Muddler, or a sturdy wooden spoon
  
• Pitcher (try to get a nice one as you'll be serving from it)
  
• Glasses

How
What we want to do is infuse the vodka with the flavor of the cucumber. The grapes add light flavor, the lemon some freshness and acid, and the simple syrup is really only there to balance the tartness of the lemons, not to make this a sugary drink.

In your pitcher, add the vodka, lemon juice, cucumbers and grapes. Muddle the cucumbers and grapes (it takes a while). Add the syrup a bit at a time, until it reaches a balance you like.

Let that sit overnight.

When ready to serve, simply mix it according to your guests taste, and garnish with a cucumber wafer. Classy.