Easy Mojito Punch!

     If you've been visiting for a bit, you might have come across my, Aunt Mary's Bourbon Slushy.  It's a great adult summer beverage that you mix up, and store in freezer.  When friends drop by, pronto,  a refreshing, welcoming cocktail sure to please. 
     Now, with the renewed possibility of visiting Old Havana someday, thought I'd share a recipe for Mojitos; the quintessential Cuban cocktail.  With rum, lime and mint, Cuba's Caribbean weather, not to mention the romanticism of Papa Hemingway; easy to understand the appeal. 
     The beauty of this recipe is that it's for a 6 cup recipe of a versatile mixer; and there's no muddling.  It even makes a great refreshing summer beverage, by itself, over ice, without the rum.  Since the recipe if for more than one, and for the joie de vie quality, I decided to call it a Punch.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Enjoy!

For the Mint Limeade, you'll need the following:
6-8 limes
1 bunch of mint; at least 24 sprigs.
1 cup of sugar
5 cups of water

Directions~
In a 48-64 ounce pitcher, 
-1 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice, 6-8 limes juiced
set aside

Gather 12 or so sprigs of fresh mint, bind together with a rubber band at stem, so you have a sort of mint brush

In a small pan make a simple syrup.  

Combine:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water

Heat on medium, till sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat.  Place "mint brush" in simple syrup to steep for 15 minutes.

When cooled, add mint infused simple syrup to lime juice in pitcher.
Add the remaining 4 cups of cold water.  

This makes the mixer/Mint Limeade.

For a mojito:

fill highball with ice
add 1 1/2 ounce of rum
add Mint Limeade to nearly top
top off with club soda.
garnish with mint leaves

Esa es la buena vida!

Aunt Mary's Bourbon Slushy

*Be sure to check out, The Recipes