The Vermontito Mojito
I’ve come late to liking rhubarb, but I’m making up for that with gusto now. And with alcohol.
The spring favorite is a nice Vermont approximation of citrus flavors and along with booze and some mint and maple, it makes a great mojito.*
It’s also a really nice pink rhubarb lemonade if you leave the liquor out.
Vermontito Mojito
makes 4
- Ice
- 6 ounces light rum (you can use some Vermont vodka if you really want to keep it local)
- 12 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb stalks (toss out those leaves – they’ll give you a tummyache)
- 1/3 c. maple syrup (or more to taste)
- Club soda
1. Cook the rhubarb with 2 cups of water on a low simmer until very soft, then either strain to get the liquid (mashing up the rhubarb well to get out all of its sour goodness) or blend in a blender. Cool liquid before using.
2. Place ice in beverage shaker then add in the rum/vodka, 8 broken up mint sprigs, 1/2 cup rhubarb liquid and maple. Shake well, taste and adjust with more rhubarb juice or syrup as necessary. Serve over ice in a high ball glass, topped off with a splash of club soda and a sprig of mint.
4. Get ready to make a second batch.
* Purists could quibble about my appropriation of the term “mojito” for a drink with no lime and no rum. I don’t disagree, but would just suggest that this is a lot closer to an actual mojito than, say, a green apple martini is to that actual cocktail.
