Refreshing Coconut Mojito

Nothing beats a relaxing weekend! Except maybe an awesomely refreshing drink! My husband and I are getting ready for our upcoming vacation to Bocas Del Toro, Panama and I was feeling in a tropical mood. Ever since the economy declined, heading out to the bars to spend $8 or $10 (or $12 at some spots in LA!) hasn't really been something we're inclined to do anymore. However, I developed quite a reputation for drink crafting in graduate school, and on these lazy-day weekends, I pull out all my supplies and create some great drinks for me and my hubby to enjoy at home.

To match our upcoming vacation, I created the perfect island drink. It's something familiar, but with a little special twist, that makes it oh-so yummy! (Sorry Rachael Ray, but I REFUSE to say YUM-O!) And it's very easy, something you can make at home in a snap to impress your family and friends.

Ingredients

Bacardi Light Rum (or any brand of light rum)
White granulated sugar
3 juicy limes
1 bunch of mint
1 can of coconut milk
club soda or lemon lime soda (diet works, if you prefer)
martini shaker
cocktail glass
muddler (or a good old tablespoon, if you don't have one)

1) Slice the limes into eighths. Juice 3 eighths of a lime into the martini shaker. Discard two of the lime rinds, but drop the third into the shaker.

2) Add about 5 shredded mint leaves into the shaker.

3) Add 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar into the shaker (you can adjust this based on how sweet you like your drink).

4) Add 1 to 2 shots light rum.

5) Muddle the contents of the shaker. If you don't have a muddler, go ahead and use the back of a tablespoon to get in there. Basically, you want to break up the mint leaves, to infuse the sugar and other ingredients.

6) Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of coconut milk. Add ice. You'll probably want to add a decent amount of ice.

7) Shake, shake, SHAKE!

8) Dump out into cocktail glass.

9) Top off with club soda or lemon-lime soda (club soda keeps it less sweet).
It may froth slightly at the top, so be careful when adding in the soda.

10) Garnish with fresh mint, and a straw!

If you don't want this to be a coconut mojito, you can replace the coconut milk with any fruit juice or fruit puree that you like (my favorites are passion fruit juice or blackberry puree). And, if you are like my hubby who doesn't like the carbonation, you can omit the club soda. Just be sure to put a little more ice in the shaker. Beware: Without club soda or lemon-lime soda to mellow it out, this variation is not for the faint of heart.

I love making cocktails at home, and I'm working on compiling a collection of tips so you can love making cocktails at home, too. They'll be up here soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!