Spicy Mango Basil Mojito

Hey friends, look! A recipe!

Cool beans.

It was all I could do to get these pictures finished and uploaded for today’s post – I. am. tired. That dang (adorable) kitten likes to attack all night long. Teeny claws climbing all over us, little bites to our feet all night long, and tugging on my hair! (Oh man, I do NOT like little kitten claws and teeth in my hair when I’m trying to sleep!) Kitten will be locked out of the bedroom at night from now on, and my appreciation for my semi-needy but never bothersome old Seymore is at an all-time high.

So it’s time for a drink! Awhile back, I ordered a Spicy Mango Basil Mojito cocktail at a restaurant. I was SO intrigued by the name, and I love sweet-and-spicy so much, even occasionally in a cocktail.

It was awful.

Let me tell you. That cocktail was SPICY. I know, I know. It was in the name. But when you order a “spicy” cocktail, you kind of imagine a little slice of serrano chile floating in a fairly sweet drink, or a habanero simple syrup (I once had a mango habanero margarita and the bartender told me that simple syrup was his trick…. I promise I’ll make it one day.) But this was not that. I coughed and choked on the first sip. I was with a crowd that can handle their spicy, and everybody sort of liked the cocktail, but between four of us we only drank half of it over the course of a long dinner. I had to have a nice big bite of noodles or rice in my mouth before I sipped on it.

I don’t like that kind of spice in my cocktails.

But I still love the idea of a spicy mango basil mojito, so I am making my own version! This time, the spice is minimal, just an interesting little kick at the end (and I have an easy tip to cut it down even more if you want.) The sweet basil simple syrup really balances it out.

I used this awesome technique from The Honeybee to make some delightful mango jalapeno rum for the base of the drink. Add a basil simple syrup, sparkling water, and lime, and a fantastic mojito is born 🙂

Spicy Mango Basil Mojito

2015-06-13 08:06:36

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for the rum

1. 1 mango, chopped
2. 1 1/2 C white rum
3. 1/2 jalapeno

for the basil simple syrup

1. 1 C torn basil leaves
2. 1 C sugar
3. 1 C water

for a cocktail

1. 2-4 T simple syrup
2. 2 oz spicy mango rum
3. 4 oz seltzer water
4. juice of 1/2 lime
5. lime slices for garnish

for the rum

1. Combine chopped mango and rum in a container, refrigerate, and let steep for at least 24 hours. Just 24 hours before you are going to make the cocktails (for a very mild drink), add 1/2 of the jalapeno without its seeds. (note: for a spicier drink, you could either let this steep longer and give it a taste until it reaches your desired spiciness. Or you could add more of the jalapeno and even let some of the seeds soak in there. I did NOT try this, so make sure you test it frequently so it doesn’t turn too spicy.) When your rum tastes right to you, remove the mango and jalapeno. Store in the fridge.

for the simple syrup

1. Combine everything in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool and then remove the basil leaves.

for a cocktail

1. Combine all ingredients in a glass over ice.

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