Mosquito Cocktail
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Start to Finish: 10 minutesServings: 2Difficulty: BeginnerThe mosquito cocktail is a variant of the mojito, a sweet, fizzy, rum-based drink that is flavored with lime and mint. In the place of white rum, the mosquito cocktail uses Scotch, creating a huskier, smokier-tasting drink that is still refreshing. The basic mosquito cocktail, adapted from the Toronto Star, can be varied even further by changing the herbs and base alcohol, as well as adding fruit juices.

  • 4 ounces Scotch
  • 4 ounces club soda
  • 14 mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • 2 slices lime
  • Ice

In a cocktail shaker, add the sugar, 10 mint leaves and half of the quartered limes. Juice the remaining limes and add the liquid directly into the shaker.Muddle the ingredients together, using a long wooden mallet or a large spoon. Add the Scotch.

Tips

The mint, limes and sugar are thoroughly muddled when the mint leaves turn dark green and begin to fall apart and the sugar has mostly dissolved.

Add 1/4 cup of ice, cover and shake vigorously, until the outside of the shaker is frosty and cold. Fill two tall glasses halfway with ice and pour the drink into the glasses.

Tips

Use the mesh strainer to keep out the muddled mint and lime, although bits of the leaves and some lime pulp in the drink are acceptable.

Fill the glasses with club soda and garnish each with one slice of lime and two mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Mosquito cocktails can be highly varied. In some cases, no Scotch is used, and mosquito cocktails are used to describe any mojito-like drink that does not use rum. The Maracuya Mosquito cocktail, by Charlotte Voisey, uses basil in place of the mint and gin in place of the Scotch. She also adds passion fruit juice to give the drink a tropical twist.Pisco, a fruity liquor native to Peru, can also be used in place of the Scotch, while the other ingredients are kept the same.