Finally! I’ve figured out how to make the perfect homemade mojito. Mojitos are bubbly rum cocktails that taste minty-fresh, citrusy and a little sweet. Club soda stretches out the flavors to create an afternoon-worthy sipper. Mojitos are ultra refreshing on warm days, and I feel like I’m on vacation every time I get my hands on one.

Mojitos originated in Cuba and I hope to taste a real one someday. We enjoyed Cuban-style mojitos in Miami over a long Valentine’s weekend earlier this year. Mojitos happen to be the only cocktail my husband will drink (he’s usually more of a beer and wine guy). I studied the bartenders’ methods while we were there so I could learn how to make them at home.

At Old’s Havana, they lined up highball glasses all the way down the bar, added a generous spoonful of sugar to each, followed by several sprigs of fresh mint (or yerba buena, as they call it). They mixed the mojitos in the glasses by the order, garnishing them with real sugar cane. I swizzled my drink and swayed to the beat of lively Latin string music playing just a few feet away. I honestly don’t know if it was an authentic or manufactured Miami experience, but it was magical nonetheless.

Outside of Miami, great mojitos can be hard to come by. Many bars don’t keep fresh mint on hand so they’ll turn down the request, and my own homemade attempts over the years have been lackluster. Now that I’ve studied and practiced my mojito technique, I’m excited to share my mojito recipe with you today!

Turns out, you just need five basic ingredients (mint, lime, sugar, rum and club soda) and a few simple tips to make the best mojito you’ve ever had. You won’t even need a shaker or simple syrup for this classic mojito recipe. Cheers!

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I’ve been meaning to share this epic mai tai recipe with you for months! I found the recipe in my friend Alana Kysar’s beautiful new cookbook, Aloha Kitchen (affiliate link). Alana is effusive and thoughtful, hard working and talented, and you would know this all by glancing at her book. She sent me a copy and I’ve learned so much about Hawaiian culture and cuisine from it.

Her mai tai recipe is in the drink section at the back of the book. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make a proper tiki drink ever since we got a tiki bar in town, so here we are.

Alana says, “The mai tai is commonly associated with Hawaii, despite is California origin. Whether you believe Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic invented the drink, its strong tie to the islands remains. If you’ve ordered them in the past, chances are you’ve had varied experiences, ranging from great to terrible and everything in between.”

This mai tai recipe is well balanced, deliciously tropical, and quite boozy, like a mai tai should be. Your average cocktail contains one-and-a-half ounces of liquor, and this one contains three ounces of rum. You have been warned.

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Well hello! My friend Matt is in town and brunch awaits, so I’m going to make this quick. We made these super simple and refreshing mojitos last night before we hit the town.

Today, I bring you a simple twist on a classic mojito from The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson. I’ve been meaning to tell you about this cookbook for a while. The book’s subtitle, Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods, sums it up pretty perfectly.

Erin started a blog called The Forest Feast after she moved from New York to a cabin near San Francisco. In the book, she offers exceptionally simple (like, five ingredient!) vegetarian recipes that are brought to life by photographs, watercolor illustrations and handwritten notes. It’s definitely a book to keep on the coffee table.

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Today I’m popping in to let you know about my guest post over at one of my favorite blogs, Turntable Kitchen. I’ve been a fan of Kasey’s thoughtful writing and inspiring recipes for a long time, but recently had the pleasure of meeting her in real life when we were in New York over the same weekend. Serendipity!

When Kasey asked me to share a recipe inspired by my travels, I decided to make horchata, which is a refreshing, cinnamon-infused rice and almond milk served in Latin America. So far I’ve only sampled horchata in Colorado and New York, but I hope to get a chance to try authentic horchata when I’m in Belize later this week. That’s right, I’m going to Belize! More on that soon.

You know me, I couldn’t resist turning my horchata recipe into a cocktail by adding dark rum—an excellent idea, if I do say so myself. If you want to booze up your horchata, I highly recommend adding Gosling’s spiced rum. I also tried Kraken spiced rum (pretty good) and vodka (not complementary). I have a hunch that a White Russian made with horchata instead of milk would be mighty tasty, however. Who wants to come up with a clever name for that concoction?

Lastly, if you’re tempted to make horchata popsicles, don’t—they turn out chalky and icy. If you’re thinking about making horchata muesli, do—and add fresh cherries. Amazing! (Curious about muesli? Check out my post on simple summer breakfasts.) I’ll quit rambling, but thanks again to Kasey and Matt for inviting me to guest post and please give horchata a try soon.

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What a weekend! I’m all tuckered out after a few fun-filled days with friends. Highlights include hanging out at the local art market, making faces in a photo booth, sipping on [numerous] free cocktails and laughing over classic diner fare at breakfast. Last night we danced away to my friends’ 90s band, which made me feel old in the best way possible. I’m turning 26 this month, you know.

Tonight I’m sharing a pumpkin and pineapple cocktail that was inspired by a drink at Pura Vida in Cleveland. Upon first sip, I vowed to recreate it at home, so I’m keeping to my word. It’s a real treat! It’s sweet but balanced; I’d savor one for dessert any day.

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I’ve always associated daiquiris with artificial tasting, syrupy sweet concoctions from the likes of Chili’s. Imagine my surprise, while flipping through Market-Fresh Mixology when I discovered that traditional daiquiris are actually made with rum, lime juice, sugar and optionally, orange liqueur. I decided to try making my own daiquiris, one with raspberries and the other with blackberries. The raspberry daiquiri was the clear winner in the taste department, so I’ve typed up the recipe below.

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I fear I’ll run out of summer Fridays before I run out of refreshing summer cocktail ideas, so I’m posting two today. So many cocktails to try, so little down time. Hiccup.

Today’s drinks are for my friend Jes, who has a surplus of cucumbers. She’ll need one (or both) of these after a long day of teaching kids at her new job.

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The past ten days have been an absolute whirlwind. I’ve traveled over a thousand miles by car and been tied to a computer for days. This weekend, I hope to take it easy; plans include a visit to the farmers’ market, pilates, and clinking fresh cocktails with friends.

These cocktails are a seasonal spin on the classic mojito. I suspect any sweet summer fruit would make a great mojito mixer, but cherries seem particularly well suited. The slight sweetness of the rainier variety mixes well with mint. Bing cherries might be even better, but I haven’t had a chance to try. If you do, please let me know!

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