strawberry mojitos: the kickoff to strawberry week!

for as long as i can remember, my grandpa has grown strawberries and every summer makes a batch of strawberry jam. this year, when i visited my mom for her birthday, she had a few quarts of berries grandpa picked for me to take home. by a few, she meant three. 

so just as i had a week of blackberries last year (i have a feeling it will be back again this year), i'm kicking off strawberry week with a variation of my all time favorite drink: the mojito! so stay tuned this week, as i'll have a new strawberry recipe every day for the next seven days! (miss a day? check out the strawberry week link on the right side of the page.)

strawberry mojitos
adapted from white on rice couple, who adapted it from the berry bible
10 minutes, makes 1

i always have simple syrup on hand (i use it in my morning coffee, it takes no time to make and dissolves a lot better than granulated sugar). if you don't, make more than you need and store it in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

3 fresh strawberries
4-5 fresh spearmint sprigs, chopped or torn into smaller pieces
1/2 lime
2 ounces light rum (optional, leave it out for a virgin mojito)
club soda

1. in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. bring to a boil and boil until the mixture is clear. remove from heat and let cool. store extra in the refrigerator.
2. in a tall glass, add 3 tablespoons simple syrup, the strawberries, and the mint and muddle together with the back of a spoon or a muddler.
3. squeeze the juice from the lime into the glass, add the rum and stir well. 
4. fill the glass with ice and top off with soda water.