Dirty Cilantro Mojito

Dirty Cilantro Mojito is a great alternative to the traditional one, this mojito is just as refreshing and tasty as the original. Often in recipes you’ll see mint to be substitute by cilantro or vice versa… Well, I add a bunch of cilantro leaves to use… so guess what I had to try?… a Cilantro Mojito, of course! A great discovery, and delicious one too. It gives the famous drink a second life, a great new dimension to mojito. I’m still a great mint mojito lover but this is equally good, and if you are like me, and like a little change once in awhile, this is the way. Both mint and cilantro are filled with health benefits, minerals and vitamins of all kinds, so no winner on this side.

The famous mojito cocktail was created in La Havana, Cuba. I’ve, for my part, discovered mojitos, while backpacking though central America, a few years ago, back in Panama, where they were using brown rum to make the cocktail. I’ve got baptized to brown rum mojito and could never really enjoy a white one after that, or al least not as much. I believe this drink gains so much from using a richer flavored rum, although the crystal clear mojito looks nicer, I believe the slightly dirty yellow mojito with brown rum is way tastier. That’s why I called this drink a “dirty mojito”…

There is a special instrument to bruise the cilantro leaves in the first steps, called the muddler, which help to release the flavour of mint or cilantro in this case. Be cautious with the cilantro leaves, they are way thinner and more fragile than the mint’s leaves, so it might break more easily with a pointy muddler. It happened in my case, although I like the extra flavour bits of cilantro, a good mojito shouldn’t be in shredded pieces. I guess I get a free pass on my few shredded pieces of cilantro, since my mojito is already called “dirty mojito”.

Going through Nicaragua, back in the days, I remember this sublime rum they would serve us everywhere, the Flor de Caña, a pure delight. Especially for mojitos, and it got a certain sweetness to it, that just goes so well with the famous drink.

Let’s get this refreshing cocktail started!

Dirty Cilantro Mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

• a hand full of cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp of cane sugar
• 30 ml of brown rum
• 1 lime (1/2 in sliced, 1/2 squeezed juice)
• Sparkling water
• Ice cubes

Directions

1. In a thick glass or special mojito mortar glass, bruise the cilantro into the sugar and lime juice and slices
2. Add the rum and dissolve the sugar in it
3. Add the sparkling water and ice cubes
4. Stir, lightly the bottom of the drink to incorporate the sugar

Serve on a hot summer day. Enjoy!