They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, I cannot claim that a homemade virgin mojito mix is a “necessity” per se, but wanting to keep things as simple as possible, I came up with this fuss-free recipe in advance of our midsummer supper (which took place on our boat in the archipelago). The aim was to bring as few things with me as possible and not have terribly much to do on the day. Our guests (one of whom is pregnant) love virgin mojitos and I wondered whether I could simplify the process of making them on the boat by bringing only ice, ginger ale/soda water and a pre-made sugar syrup and lime mix, infused with fresh mint. It turns out I could 
.
This is by no means an “authentic” approach to mojito making, but if you enjoy the mojito-y freshness of mint and lime with a hint of sweetness, and don’t want to fuss with making cocktails/mocktails whilst out and about, then you may find this makes a nice addition to your picnic basket.
EASY DIY VIRGIN MOJITO MIX
Makes a little less than 1 liter
INGREDIENTS
2 dl organic caster sugar
4 dl water
4 dl lime juice
Lots of mint leaves (at least 50 at a guesstimate… and more if you like it extra minty, as I do)
DIRECTIONS
- Add water and sugar to a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
- Turn the heat down low. Add clean mint leaves to the sugar syrup and bash them up a little with a spoon.
- After a few minutes, turn off the heat and allow the syrup to infuse and cool before straining.
- Add the lime juice and pour the mix into a sterilised jar/bottle.
TO SERVE
Add a handful of ice cubes and around 2 tablespoons of the virgin mojito mix to a glass and top with 3 dl of ginger ale or soda water (of course, you could add white rum too, if you like). Enjoy!
* The dl measurements that I use in recipes on my blog are a standard metric measurement: 1 dl = 100 ml, 10 dl = 1 liter
