Mojito

In a highball glass, add the sugar, mint leaves, and lime. Mash with a wooden muddler just enough to dissolve the sugar and release the fragrance of the mint. Add the rum and stir. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda. Add a couple of dashes of bitters. Slap a sprig of mint on your wrists to release the oils and push it in the top.

One of the worlds most popular cocktails and, probably, one of the most abused, we have all had more bad ones than good. That’s a great shame as, in the right hands, it can be a fine beverage. If you can, use authentic Cuban sugar cane rum, one that says ‘Made in Cuba’, not just ‘Established in Cuba,’ on the label. For greater depth of flavour use a dark rum. Do not over muddle the mint, you don’t want a shredded salad at the bottom of the glass, and go easy on the sugar until you taste it.