My eyes are fluttering closed as I type this morning. TGI Fucking F.
Yes, we’re closing the book on another week, and mid-September is just flicking by before we get the chance to say hello. But – happy Friday, kids! The workweek is sliding shut and we’re welcoming a fresh weekend to our calendars.
Which means, a nice drink to celebrate the slamming of laptops and stripping of bras. This Apple Crisp Mojito is cozy and festive, an easy sip with which to relax and watch some handegg or a comfort TV show. Homemade apple syrup and spiced rum work with apple cider to create a tasty, autumnal glass akin to a warm scarf around your soul.
Just look at it. Kinda reminds me of a lush apple orchard merely by aesthetic.
From Mojit-no to Mojit-yes
Yeah I’m clearly tired.
My apple syrup was debuted in last month’s Iced Apple Cinnamon Sweet Tea, one of my favorite pitcher drinks yet. This time, I swapped out the maple syrup for brown sugar, since using that much maple can be a bit cost-ineffective for some.
And, honestly, I ran out of maple syrup. So.
Deseed and chop a honeycrisp apple and toss it into a saucepot with brown sugar, water, a cinnamon stick, and some allspice and ginger. Gently simmer for a bit until the apples soften and your house smells like one of those cinnamon brooms.
Strain the syrup into a jar or airtight container otherwise. Leftover syrup keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
Tip: You can use gala or fuji apples for the syrup instead of honeycrisp. I don’t buy many other varieties aside from those, but I’d imagine any sweet red apple would work great.
Measure a bit of the syrup into a cocktail shaker along with a few fresh mint leaves and lime juice. Muddle until the mint is nice and squished, then add spiced rum and apple cider. Fill with ice and shake until nice and cold, then pour or strain into a glass with a few more ice cubes if needed. I usually leave the crushed mint leaves in my drink since I think it looks kinda cool.
Top your bevvy with sparkling water and finish with lots of apple slices and a mint sprig.
Cheers, friends! We made it through another fragile 7 days. Definitely worth celebrating.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Apple of my eye:
apple crisp mojito
Ingredients
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- 1 oz apple syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 3 oz apple cider
- 2 oz spiced rum
- sparkling water, to top
- fresh mint leaves and apple slices, for garnish
apple syrup
- 1 honeycrisp apple, chopped
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ginger
Instructions
- Deseed and chop one of the honeycrisp apples. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, 3/4 cup of water, the chopped apple, 1 cinnamon stick, the allspice, and the ginger. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring and mashing the apple as it softens. Strain the solids through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing the liquid from the apples as best you can. Discard the solids.
- In a shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the apple syrup and lime juice. Pour in the spiced rum and apple cider. Fill with ice and shake until cold.
- Pour or strain the cocktail into your favorite glass and top with a few more ice cubes as needed. Finish with a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with apple slices and a mint sprig.
