Hi, Friends of Cocktails! Any way you look at it, the Mojito is still one of the most popular cocktails out there. And today I’ll show you how to make the Greenest Mojito without using artificial coloring, and without having to muddle mint. No need for Midori, matcha, Green Chartreuse, or absinthe… because the secret is in Mint Tincture. And to make the cocktail look cooler I’ll use clarified lime Super Juice, but even if you use freshly squeezed lime juice the cocktail will look and taste great too!
If there’s something we like to do on Cocktail Time is find new, fun ways to make delicious cocktails - while also saving you time, storage space, or money. To make our cocktail even better though, I’ll add two tinctures to our Mojito base: mint and lemon balm. Lemon Balm, or Melissa officinalis, is a calming herb, historically used to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion.
I made these the same way we did the Fig Leaf and Basil tinctures, so check that out for the step-by-step process. Still, if you feel like Lemon Balm and Mint could be a better pairing, feel free to experiment with other tinctures and flavors to find a combination that you love. To start, let’s make some clarified Lime Juice as we’ll use that in our final cocktail, and we’ll use the agar agar method I’ve showcased on the channel before. Let’s start, it’s Cocktail Time!
Clarified Lime Super Juice
● 300mL · 10oz Lime Super Juice
● 0.6g Agar Agar
Begin by measuring a quarter of the Lime Super Juice, and place it in a pot alongside the agar. Before it starts simmering, turn off the heat and pour in the rest of the juice to cool the mixture down. This will cause the agar molecules to intertwine, creating a soft gel that will trap the lime juice solids. To help that along I’ll chill it further with cold water then place it in the freezer. After about an hour it’s time to gently break apart the gel, and pour everything through a cloth filter.
Remember to check if the first liquid coming through is still a bit cloudy, in which case you’ll want to re-filter that once the solids create an additional filter. Leave this to slowly drip through until it’s basically all past the filter, and with that we have a flavorful, clarified Lime Super Juice. Bottle it and use it within the same time you would if it wasn’t clarified. You can of course freeze it for later use as well, but with that we have all the ingredients needed for the Neon Green Mojito.
Neon Green Mojito
● 60mL · 2oz Havana Club 3
● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Clarified Lime Super Juicie
● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Simple Syrup
● 8 dashes Mint Tincture
● 2 dashes Lemon Balm Tincture
● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution
● 100g Soda Water
We’ll just build the cocktail in a chilled highball glass over a tempered clear ice spear. So first I’m adding everything but the soda water, making sure to keep that for last. Remember that you can use a scale if you want to be precise, before lifting the cocktail with a few turns of the bar spoon and that’s it - I think it looks good enough that it doesn’t need a garnish, but you can of course add a nice bouquet of mint, a lime wedge or just a small circle of lime peel. Let’s give it a try, cheers!
We made a Mojito that clearly defines its character with its aroma. Rich notes of rum, a sweet and sour balance, and the freshness of mint that, in our case, melds beautifully with the citrusy hints of lemon balm. One of the best Mojitos ever! Also, you can easily control how mint-forward you want your Mojito to be by adding more or less of the tincture, and remember that if you want to batch it you’ll have to add the tinctures before serving or they’ll begin turning brown.
Today’s bottom of one glass brings us three more quick cocktail ideas using mint tincture. Starting with a Gin Sour, add 8 dashes of mint tincture to turn it into a Southside, and for garnish a single mint leaf. Next is the Julep, but instead of fresh mint, again 8 dashes of mint tincture to make a Mint Julep. And lastly, a Whiskey Sour which I’ll turn into a no-hassle Whiskey Smash with 8 dashes of mint tincture. Again, a mint garnish. Easy mint cocktails! Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails.