Old Cuban — Mojito meets Champagne cocktail — and somehow the

A Mojito meets a Champagne cocktail — and somehow the result tastes both Cuban and elegant at the same time.

Ingredients

• 2 oz aged rum
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz Champagne or good Prosecco to top it off
• quarters oz fresh lime juice
• 2 dash Angostura bitters
• 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
• 1 lime wheel
• Top with it off
• Garnish: a lime wheel
• Garnish: a mint sprig

Method

Grab your shaker and add the mint leaves to the bottom. Pour in the simple syrup and gently muddle the mint — just enough to bruise the leaves and release the oils. You’re not making mint paste here. Add the rum, lime juice, and bitters. Fill with ice and shake hard for about ten seconds. Double strain into your coupe — you want to catch any mint bits that got loose. Top with the Champagne, pouring slowly so you don’t kill all the bubbles. The drink should have a beautiful foam on top from the shaking and the bubbles working together.

Serve

Serve this up in a coupe with no additional ice. Float the lime wheel on top and tuck the mint sprig right next to it. The aromatics hit you before the first sip.

Pro Tip

Don’t skip the double straining — mint particles floating in a Champagne cocktail look sloppy and taste bitter. Use a fine mesh strainer or even a coffee filter if you have to. And pour the Champagne slowly down a bar spoon if you want to be fancy about it. The bubbles will integrate naturally without losing their life.