This Moroccan-inspired cocktail fuses two of my favorite drinks: Moroccan mint tea and Cuban mojitos, all kissed with cardamom and rosewater. Simple, refreshing, and complex!
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Total: 10 minutesminutes
Servings: 4drinks
Ingredients
2tablespoonsloose black tea leaves, such as English Breakfast
20green cardamom pods, crushed
boiling water (see instructions for amount)
3tablespoonssugar(I use organic granulated)
¾cuppacked fresh spearmint leaves, plus extra for garnish
2-3tablespoonsfresh lime juice
2-3tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
5ounceswhite rum(½ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
1ouncedark rum(2 tablespoons)
1 ½teaspoonsrosewater
ice
sparkling water
Instructions
Make the cardamom tea concentrate:
Place the tea and crushed cardamom pods in a heatproof measuring cup, and add boiling water to bring the mixture to the ¾ cup mark. Let steep 10-20 minutes. (If finishing the drinks later, strain the tea mixture into a jar, squeezing the liquid out of the tea, and chill. The mixture may become cloudy; this is fine.)
Finish the mojitos:
Meanwhile, muddle the mint leaves and sugar together in another measuring cup to bruise the mint. Add the lime and lemon juices, starting with the smaller amounts; stir to dissolve the sugar.
When the tea has steeped, strain it into the mint mixture, squeezing the tea and cardamom pods to extract all the liquid.
Strain the mint/tea mixture into a pitcher, squeezing the leaves to extract all the liquid. Stir in the white and dark rums and the rosewater. Taste, adding additional lime and lemon juice if you like.
Fill four large tumblers with ice and several mint leaves. Divide the cocktail mixture among the glasses, leaving room for sparkling water. Top each with a bit of sparkling water, stir, and serve.