Mojitos

You guessed it, this week features some of the beverages I plan to serve at the wedding. My mom will be hip-deep in fresh mint, so I'm planning to make a big batch of mint syrup for mojitos.

OK, using a syrup is sort of cheating. Technically you're supposed to muddle the mint and sugar together in each glass. But for a party situation, that's way too time-consuming. This recipe is quick to mix up and can be adapted to serve lots of people.

My basic mojito recipe is 1/4 light rum, 1/4 mint syrup, 1/4 club soda, and 1/4 fresh lime juice, although obviously you can play around with that and adjust for taste. Serve over ice, with a sprig of fresh mint in each glass. The ratio is the same whether you're making one glass or a tub full. Each batch of mint syrup produces two cups, to wit:
1 big bunch of fresh mint
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
Combine everything in a saucepan and stir constantly over medium-high heat until all the sugar dissolves and you have a relatively viscous syrup. Set aside to cool. Discard mint and refrigerate the syrup until ready.