The Lush Chef

This past Sunday, I came home from the Farmers' Market with a fistful of my favorite mint from Maggies' Farms.  It's a special combination of chocolate mint, peppermint and spearmint (thank the bees!) and it's awesome in cocktails and desserts.  So of course, I needed to make a drink that would highlight it, and since August is National Rum Month, it had to be a mojito.

Rather than make a typical mojito, I decided to make use of all the lavender syrup I had in my fridge.  And because lavender pairs so nicely with lemon, I added fresh lemon juice instead of lime and balanced the sweetness with Fever Tree's Bitter Lemon Tonic Water.  It's a refreshing twist, and I think this just may be my new favorite way to make a mojito!

Lavender Lemonade Mojito
Ingredients:

• 2 oz white rum (I used Bacardi)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz lavender simple syrup
• 12 mint leaves, plus some for garnish
• 4 oz Fever Tree Bitter Lemon Soda

- In a shaker glass, add the rum, lemon juice, simple syrup and mint leaves and muddle.
- Add ice and shake.
- Pour into a glass and top with the soda.
- Garnish with a mint leaf.