Alton Brown's solution for a faster, mintier mojito
Alton Brown substitutes a pre-prepared mint syrup for the crushed leaves, a method that speeds up preparation and softens the flavor.
Food Network's Alton Brown is known for his scientific approach to cooking, and now he's applying that same approach to mixology. His method for making a mojito speeds up the process without sacrificing flavor. Traditional recipes call for muddling fresh mint, a laborious step that Brown replaces with a simple syrup infused with mint.
The traditional mint used in mojitos is Mentha x villosa, although spearmint is often used instead to achieve the same sweet and refreshing flavor. Crushing the leaves has a drawback: it can impart a bitter, grassy taste due to the release of chlorophyll, and the broken fragments float in the drink, which is unsightly and unpleasant.
To prepare the syrup, fresh mint, sugar, and water are combined, and the essence is slowly extracted until a balanced liquid is obtained. This avoids the over-extraction of bitter compounds that occurs when crushing the leaves. Blending and straining the syrup removes the leaves, and preparing it in advance allows you to extract all the flavor without the risk of bitterness, making it a practical solution for large events.
The scientific basis is that the infusion dissolves the fresh oils of the mint into the syrup without crushing the leaves. The sugar softens the intense flavor of the mint and leaves a balanced sweetness in every sip. With no leaves floating in the glass, nothing distracts from the drink.
The syrup can be stored for up to two months, or frozen, and used in future cocktails. The mint flavor is more concentrated, and the clumping that occurs when muddling is avoided. This method is a good example of how a small technical change can improve a classic drink.