The One Ingredient That Will Make A Mojito To Remember

What's not to love about a classic mojito? Its refreshing balance of rum, citrus, mint, and a touch of bubbles can transport your taste buds to the sunny coasts of Cuba. There are some tips and tricks to craft the perfect mojito, from choosing the right type of mint, figuring out whether or not to muddle said mint, the best rum, and so on. In addition to keeping things classic, there are ingenious ways to add nuance to the drink and channel your inner mixologist. This includes replacing the traditional mint with other herbs like basil, which, while delivering a notably different flavor, still checks the box on making for a refreshing and delectable sipper. Replacing mint with basil is a rather innocuous twist on a traditional mojito, but here, it's about to get a tad more adventurous with one extra ingredient that will transform your mojito into one like never before. You may widen your eyes at the thought of adding pickle juice to your mojito, but there is a high chance that this would be in the "don't knock it till you try it" category of beverages.

The drink is super easy to make, requiring the usual ingredients for a mojito — white rum, lime juice, mint, and club soda — along with pickle juice. Just combine and shake them in a cocktail shaker with ice, serve in an iced glass, and chances are this will become your new default mojito recipe. It's not just mojitos that benefit from a pickle-forward punch. Pickle juice happens to be the secret to some of the best cocktails and the unexpected ingredient for a refreshing glass of lemonade.

Depending on the recipe and how it's used, pickle juice can work wonders on the final flavor with its notable salty, tangy notes. However, because of pickle juice's standout taste, you want to be mindful so as not to overpower your dish or drink with the pickle flavor. Owing to the diversity of the world of pickles, you can switch things up in more ways than one, depending on your preferred pickle variety. This can vary based on how the brine is seasoned and the chosen produce that was pickled. So, once you're done savoring your pickles of choice, don't toss out the leftover juice! It's a wealth of flavor that can be used in a number of simple yet delicious ways. Bearing that in mind, if you're an avid pickle lover, you've just opened yourself up to no shortage of culinary ventures in your kitchen to get your creative (pickle) juices going.

For instance, if you're looking to brighten up a basic pasta salad, pickle juice is up for the task. Simply switch out the vinegar in the dressing with pickle juice instead and taste the difference. You can always adjust the amount of pickle juice according to your taste preference, but as a rule of thumb, start small and gradually increase from there. It's easy to add more of a specific flavor, but once it overpowers the other components, undoing the damage isn't so easy. On that note, one of the perks of pickle juice is that it affords a more balanced zing thanks to the added sugar, salt, and occasionally additional herbs and spices, as opposed to more acidic sources like vinegar or lemon juice.