Overview
"I'm a muddler freak," laughs mixologist Tomas Vikario. He's talking, of course, about the bartenders' tool which is used to muddle or mash ingredients together at the bottom of a cocktail glass. (Tomas has an unhealthy collection of 20 muddlers; one is even custom-made). Concrete Playground's favourite cheeky mixologist is showing us how to make a simple summer cocktail that's easy to recreate in the comfort of your very own herb garden. (Or kitchen. We just couldn't resist making ours in the sunshine.) For Tomas, a muddler is an essential tool for a good mojito.
Tomas has been a mixologist ever since a graphic design course drove him to drink*, over eighteen years ago. Born in Croatia and now living in Sydney, he first shared his passion and experience with CP for our first DIY cocktail recipe 'A Perrier Tea Break'.
Today, Tomas shows us his fresh, fruity twist on the classic Cuban mojito. "I like to put a twist on every classic drink," Tomas tells us. "The Perrier Summer Berry Mojito actually improves with every sip – the mint, rum, berry and lime flavours become more intense as the ingredients have time to mingle together."
And mingling at home with friends and Ernest Hemingway's tipple of choice is exactly what we fancy doing this summer. Here's how you can too.
*Half true. Tomas assures us that the end of his graphics design career and the beginning of his passion for mixology has no correlation.
Ingredients:
30ml lime juice
White cane sugar
Blueberries
Strawberries
Mint
50ml Havana Club rum
Perrier sparkling mineral water
STEP 1
It's just not a mojito without that fine balance between sweet and sour. So to start, add two spoons of white cane sugar to a tall glass; Tomas suggests using a highball or Collins glass. (Too many friends, not enough highballs? Tomas has the answer for that one too: old jam jars or tin cans. Be sure to clean them out first, obviously. Take a look at the final image for an example.)
STEP 2
Add 30ml of freshly-squeezed lime juice (that's the juice of approximately one lime).
STEP 3
Add two chopped strawberries and six blueberries, before gently pressing the sugar, berries and lime together using a muddler. This extracts the juice and aromas of the fruit.
STEP 4
Now add two stalks of fresh mint (approximately 10-15 mint leaves). Tomas recommends tapping or scrunching the mint before adding it to the glass, this helps to release the flavour and aroma of the herb. Muddle the ingredients together and try not to break the leaves – 0r the glass!
STEP 5
Add 50ml of rum. Tomas uses Havana Club rum for that authentic Cuban taste.
STEP 6
Using a long-handled spoon, stir in a few cubes of ice.
STEP 7
Top up with more ice and add chilled Perrier sparkling mineral water for 100% natural, long-lasting bubbles.
STEP 8
Decorate with a sprig of mint. Place a straw next to the mint for extra minty aroma as you drink.
MIX IT UP: FLAVOUR VARIATIONS
"People have so many childhood memories of eating mangoes – so it's a great alternative flavour instead of the berries," says Tomas. If you like the sound of a Perrier Mango Mojito or a Perrier Watermelon Mojito, simply replace strawberries and blueberries with half a small mango, or four cubes of watermelon. Or, try all three. ¡Qué rico!