Mojito Madness

I really really like limes. Their flavor profile seems somehow more sophisticated than that of other citrus fruits. They smell and taste peppery, zippy, green. I love the way fresh-squeezed lime juice can enliven tacos, Thai food, and drinks. Margaritas. Mojitos.

Allegro's Tango wine is a sweet white wine. In its recipe are kaffir lime leaves, orange peel, and mint--it definitely shares a flavor profile with mojitos cocktails, which I make with muddled mint, white rum, lime, and simple syrup. (People often add soda water to their mojitos, as well.)

This summer I've been happily supporting PA distillers, buying my vodkas, gins, and rums from Pennsylvania producers. My current favorite white rum is from Maggie's Farm, a Pittsburgh producer. I like the rum, the label, and their commitment to helping animal rescue shelters--all good stuff.

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Yesterday I decided to try an experiment, with two different drinks. I made my usual mojito using Maggie's Farm white rum, and I made a wine-and-rum cocktail by adding a bit of the rum to a chilled glass of Allegro's Tango. Both of the drinks were quite tasty (of course). Because of the mint factor, traditional mojito cocktails can sometimes be a bit challenging to pair with food, but my "Tangojito" had more subtle mint, making it easy to pair with the Spicy Cheesy Mini Muffins I had made for supper (and also enjoyed for happy hour). I had left some of the Fresno pepper seeds in the muffin recipe this time, so they were quite spicy. The Tangojito actually cooled that heat.

Tangojito = 4 parts Tango, 1 part white rum

So--cheers to PA wine and spirits, to limes, to animal rescues, and to summer's bright flavors!