Authentic Cuban mojitos (January 18, 2025)

Crystal and her husband are reverse rum runners. They ran their Key West rum to Cuba to find out how to make authentic mojitos. They are the first legal rum distillery in Key West, hence heir name: Key West Legal Rum. Donna and I learned how to combine mint leaves, lime juice, sugar, rum, and sparkling water to make the perfect mojito.
 

The muddler is an imperative tool. When you muddle the handful of mint, be sure to include the stems. That's where the flavor comes from. She used a special sugar that we apparently can't readily find in the USA. I think we'll be fine using regular sugar in our homemade mojitos. Tom keeps pots of fresh mint on hand. Perfect!