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.
My only suggestion for this mojito is to really load it up with herbs. We used the basil and mint that’s growing in my backyard; I skimped on the basil because the neighborhood bunnies have stripped the bottom 10 inches of the plant bare. Those bunnies! We also muddled the herbs beyond recognition, so go easy there. Regardless, it’s a super refreshing, slow sipper. If you have herbs growing in your backyard, I suggest that you make these tonight!
Lemon-Basil Mojito
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cuban
Light, herbal, refreshing mojitos for summer days! This is a simple twist on a classic mojito made with basil and lemon. Erin suggests freezing ice cubes with mint, basil and lemon slices, which would be a nice touch. Ingredients listed yield one cocktail.
Ingredients
- Sprig of basil
- Sprig of mint
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar or agave nectar
- 1 ½ ounces clear rum
- Big squeeze of fresh lemon
- Club soda or seltzer
Instructions
- In a sturdy glass, muddle fresh basil and mint leaves with sugar. Add rum and lemon juice.
- Fill the glass with ice, top it off with club soda and stir it with a spoon. Enjoy.
Notes
Recipe minimally adapted from The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson.
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
How refreshing, love the lemon and basil!
Kate @¡Hola! Jalapeño
Thanks for mentioning this great book, I love all the drawings! That mojito sounds refreshing and backyard bbq perfect!
Lisa @Garlic+Zest
Sounds like you’re having a fun weekend!
Kristen
These look absolutely beautiful! Perfect for summer!
Yvette (Muy Bueno)
Love the sound of this cocktail and that book. Yum! Gorgeous pictures!
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
Oh I love A Forest Feast and the book is on my list to buy soon!
These mojitos (another drink that I have never tasted!) look perfect for a summer afternoon where I can kickback with my sister and chat while the sun goes down. Can’t wait for summer, and my own herb garden too!
Kate
It’s a lovely book! Mojitos taste like freshness in a glass, just delicious.
vegeTARAian
That sounds so refreshing! Beautiful photos, makes me want to make a mojito and sit in a park with my pooch.
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
I love Erin’s blog! And I love Uber. I’ve been using it for a while now. So great. These cocktails looks FAB!
Kate
Uber is rad! I’ll have to find another excuse to get a ride soon. I used my friend’s referral code to book the ride downtown, so both of our rides were free!
J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats
Love love the idea of adding other herbs to a standard mint mojito. Now I really want to make this with basil and tarragon (I am a bit of tarragon nut).
Kate
Ohhh that sounds interesting! (Also? I can’t remember the last time I tasted fresh tarragon. Must change that.)
ashley - baker by nature
This mojito looks like cocktail perfection, Kate! I need one verrry soon :)
Kate
Thanks, lovely!
Joanne
Fresh herbal flavor is what makes mojitos one of my favorite parts of summer! Love that these have basil in addition to mint. The more, the merrier!
Laura Jane
Oh my gosh, this is divine. Living in Singapore means I’m always looking for refreshing cocktails and this is just perfect :)
Jenny Black
I love everything you post but rather than e-mail you this question, I am following your suggestion to comment on a recipe.
Agave nectar – is the jury still out on this one? We were still using it in place of other sugars (especially in cocktails) for most everything until I happened upon (in May 2015 tee hee) a letter of apology
from Dr. Oz dated January 2014 – saying it’s worse than high fructose corn syrup. I’m confused. For all I know the letter was a hoax…haven’t looked in to that.
Thanks in advance for your take on this subject. I was really enjoying my heretofore “healthy” margaritas. :-)
All the best,
Jenny
★★★★
Kate
Hi Jenny! Good question. Agave nectar is pure fructose, rather than a mixture of sucrose and fructose like fruit and other natural sweeteners. Fructose is hard for the body to process and apparently agave nectar requires quite a bit of processing before it reaches the shelves. I still use it in cocktails on occasion, but honey or maple syrup are better for you. Have you tried coconut sugar? It has a lower glycemic index than other sugars and is pretty minimally processed. You can use it to make simple syrup. Keep in mind that sugar, in any form, is not very good for us and it’s all relative to the amount consumed and if fiber is consumed with it to slow blood sugar spikes. I’m far more concerned about the tablespoons of corn syrup in a can of Coke than I am about your agave margaritas. :)
Kaye
I like cocktails in the summer that use herbs from my garden. : )
★★★★
Phyllis
I have made this drink a few times and it is refreshing in the summer with fresh herbs from my garden. Also, I have all of Erin’s cookbooks and yours. Thank you for your blogs.
Kelly
Good and refreshing!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thank you for your review.