The mojito is Cuba in a drink. Many people claim they know how to make a good one, but this is really it!

Steps

1. Start by making some simple syrup. To do this, put equal parts sugar and water into a pot and cook it on high (stirring it the whole time) until it mixes together (you do not want it boiling!). Make enough of this so that you don't have to make it every time you need to make a mojito.
2. Place some of the fresh mint in the bottom of the glass, just enough to cover and a little bit more.
3. Pour in about a finger of the simple syrup.
4. Add a little granulated sugar into the glass to aid the muddling of the mint. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before serving - there's nothing worse than a "crunchy" mojito!
5. Squeeze the juice of a whole lime into the glass, leaving half of the empty lime shell in the glass.
6. Take your bottle of bitters and just put a dash or two in. Mix that all together thoroughly.
7. Fill the glass about 3/4 full with ice.
8. Pour about 4 counts of the rum, and finish it with a splash of club soda. Make sure that you then mix the drink very well (you can take an empty glass and pour the drink back and forth a couple times).
9. Garnish with a sprig of mint, and you have yourself a true mojito.

Tips

• If you start getting picky with your measurements, it takes the whole vibe out of the mojito. You gotta just feel it!
• If you want to get a little crazy with your mojito, you can try different flavor rums (i.e., Bacardi Big Apple), but be careful because it might make it a little sweeter. You might have to back off on the sugar.
• Try using unprocessed cane sugar, instead of refined beet sugar, in your simple syrup for a more authentically flavoured mojito.
• Use ice cubes and not crushed ice. This keeps the true mojito flavor from being diluted as the ice melts.
• If available, use outdoor grown mint that is as woody as possible rather than the quickly grown supermarket varieties. This will add to the authentic nature of the mojito and delivers a better overall flavour.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh mint (if you're going to be making them for a lot of people, get a lot of mint. This is the foundation for the mojito)
• Limes (one for each drink)
• Clear rum (Havana Club 3 yr is the cuban rum of choice for the drink, but if you cannot get it then Bacardi Superior Light usually does the trick, but Captain Morgan's Silver Edition will also do just fine)
• Club Soda
• Pure granulated sugar
• Bitters (this is where most people fail in the mojito making process)