Cocktail Friday: Thai Basil & Mint Mojito

by Tokyo Terrace on August 28, 2010

Here’s the thing: I’m not a fan of hot weather. I’m all for beach vacations near the calming sound of ocean waves, sand between my toes and all that jazz. But generally suffocatingly hot weather is not my idea of a good time. Living in Minnesota this was never much of an issue. Summer is short and sweet in Minnesota. Ending with the Minnesota State Fair as a signal of cooler days to come, summer blows by with some heat and humidity, but it disappears quickly into golden colored fall days. Crunchy leaves, cool breezes, hot apple cider and sweaters take the place of days on the boat, cool drinks, and tank tops. Tokyo, on the other hand, holds onto heavy, hot air until October. Which often times leaves me feeling uncomfortable after only 2 minutes standing outside. Add on having to ride my bicycle everywhere and you’ve got one crabby Tokyo Terrace resident.

It’s not all grumbling and griping though. Despite my own personal issues with the current weather situation, it provide a good excuse to drink fun cocktails like this Thai Basil & Mint Mojito. After 3 months in the U.S., I came back to my little herb garden in Japan to find it completely overgrown with Thai basil and mint. The plants reached out of their pots in winding, twisting shapes reaching for rain and sun and just begging to be used in an icy drink.

I use cane sugar in my mojitos because I find it to be more easily dissolved. And it lends a slightly toasted sugar flavor without being crazy sweet. You can use regular sugar too, but you might want to reduce the amount depending on how sweet you like your drinks. If you are a hot weather hater like me right now, it’s probably time to make this. Go on! Make it!

Thai Basil & Mint Mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

1/4 cup loosely packed mint and thai basil (or other basil) leaves

1 tablespoon cane sugar (or granulated sugar)

3 oz. white rum

4-6 oz. tonic water

ice

lime juice

In the bottom of the glass, combine the mint and basil leaves, sugar and rum. Muddle everything together until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ice and top with the tonic water and lime juice. Stir gently to combine. Serve very cold. Immediately.

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  • whatiatefordinner

    Great lookin' drink, and wonderful photos, too. I've braved the tokyo summer heat myself, so I know the value of a proper cocktail in those regions. Yours looks fit for a baron!

  • http://www.mrfoodie.co.uk mrfoodie

    i just bought some thai basil… so that cocktail sounds just awesome! as i always have trouble using all of the basil up… thanks :o )

  • http://www.stephaniehaddock.com shaddock

    Cane sugar is a great idea. I love mojitos, but hate the undissolved sugar, so I make mine with simple syrup.

  • Pegasuslegend24

    one of my sons favorite drinks is this one and he is absolutely going to love this recipe going to book mark thanks for sharing I enjoy all your drinks you make and they all look amazing!

  • TokyoTerrace

    Simple syrup is another great option- the cane sugar makes the cocktail come together a little quicker, but I use simple syrup in a lot of my cocktails. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

  • TokyoTerrace

    Glad I could help you figure out how to use all that Thai basil! This mojito comes together quickly, so I'm sure you'll be able to make a few ;)

  • TokyoTerrace

    It can be difficult to find a good cocktail when you don't want to leave the air-conditioned comfort of your home :) This was a good way to enjoy something refreshing without venturing out into the Tokyo heat! Thanks for the comment!

  • http://twitter.com/spoonchopsticks Spoon and Chopsticks

    Truly refreshing…. Thanks for visiting my blog. Great blog you have here! Following you on Twitter.

  • Baking Serendipity

    Looks delicious! I'm a huge fan of Phoenix winters, but am super over the hot weather in the summer now here.

  • Debinhawaii

    Too funny that we both chose Thai-inspired mojitos to use up our basil and mint and were inspired by our herbs! Great minds indeed. Your mojito looks delicious.

    Aloha,

    Deb

  • http://mamaliga.com Gabi

    Not sure where to find Thai basil in Chicago, but sure enough I have mint growing like crazy in my backyard. Do you have any brand suggestions for the white rum?
    Also thanks for dropping by my blog, S!

    cheers!
    Gabi from mamaliga.com

  • Tokyo Terrace

    Do you have an Asian market nearby? I’m sure there is one somewhere in Chicago and many carry Thai basil. However, any basil you can get your hands on will be delicious!

  • http://twitter.com/natashacardinez Natasha Cardinez

    Thai basil is easily available at our local farmers market, I'll be sure to pick up some for this recipe. Gotta love a mojito.

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