Maghrebi Mojito
What happens when you combine Moroccan Mint Tea and Classic Cuban Mojito? Well, you get this delicious summer cocktail you will want to drink on repeat!
One of my favorite part of this venture is that I get to develop recipes. And if you’ve been here long enough, you know how much I love the idea of fusion recipes. To me, it’s respectfully taking complementary elements from different culinary traditions and creating a new dish that is innovative and delicious.
I’ve been wanting to feature a mojito recipe, which is a very popular summer drink. Mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail which highlights rum by pairing it with sweet, citrusy and herbaceous mint flavors. It would be perfect for beating this insane summer heatwave we are all experience right now.
But when I think of mint in a drink, my mind quickly runs to Moroccan mint tea, also known as Maghrebi tea or Atay locally. It’s a strong and sweet infusion of gunpowder green tea leaves, fresh mint and sugar. Mint tea is central to social life in the Maghreb which is Northwest Africa, the western part of North Africa and the Arab world.
So I did what I do best, combined the elements of Atay and Mojito, and let me tell you, this is a summer cocktail you will drink on repeat! I made an alcoholic version and a non-alcoholic version and they were both delicious. You can make this in a large batch and it is a solid cocktail for all your summer picnics, bbqs and potlucks.
More to come…
Why is it called gunpowder tea?
Alcoholic vs Non-Alcoholic
Dark Rum
Spirit
Recipe | Serving Size: 1
What you will need for this recipe
Good quality Gunpowder Green Tea
If making it alcoholic — Dark Rum
If making it non-alcoholic — Non-Alcoholic Spirit
Fresh ingredients — Lime, Mint Leaves
One of the most essential steps in making Moroccan Mint Tea is steeping the first cup and reserving it for later use. This first steep is referred to as the “soul” of the tea, as it is said to contain the essence of what the leaves carry. The second steep is discarded, as this step is supposed to wash the tea of impurities. The third and final steep is the actual brewing of the tea — adding back the essence along with fresh mint and sugar.
A traditional Moroccan Mint Tea is made using a Moroccan teapot called Berrad. However, for this recipe a stove top or electric kettle will work because we only need some hot boiling water and we are only doing the first steep and reserving the essence to create the cocktail.
Making the Tea Essence
Gunpowder Green Tea — 1 tsp
Hot Water — 4 oz
In a clean heatproof glass pitcher, pour the gunpowder tea and 4 oz of boiled water. Let the tea simmer for a minute then strain the essence in a separate cup. Let it rest and cool down.
Salting the Rim of the Glass
Coarse Salt
Sugar
Small Lime Wedge
Grab a tall highball or collins glass, rub the rim with a lime wedge. Dip the rim in a mixture of coarse salt and sugar, covering it as much as you can.
Preparing the Cocktail Base
Spearmint Leaves — 8-10
Cane Sugar — 1 tbsp
Lime — 1/2, cut into 4 pieces
Add 8-10 mint leaves to the rimmed glass, then add a tablespoon of coarse cane sugar. Using a bar spoon, spend the next minute or so to stir the mint leaves and sugar, stirring it in circular motion and moving the leaves up and down.
Add 1/2 a lime cut into quarters in the glass, then use a muddler to gently press the lime. Again, try to avoid muddling the mint leaves, we just want to press the lime enough times to get the juice out and extract some of the oil from the lime skin.
Note about the Mint & Sugar
The idea is to gently agitate and bruise the mint with the large sugar crystals to make the cocktail more aromatic. We don’t want to muddle or mash up the mint and turn it into a paste. Muddling the mint leaves will create a bitter taste and discoloration won’t make for a delicious mojito.
When you gently stir for a minute, the sugar crystals will slowly pull out the oil and essence from the mint. By the end, the mint leaves should be coated with sugar and the sugar should be coated in the mint oils. Don’t worry if there are large granules of sugar, they are meant to dissolve slowly and the cocktail will evolve as you drink it. After all, mojito is a summer drink meant for slow drinking and enjoying the vibe.
Read more about why you shouldn’t be muddling mint leaves when making a mojito.
Assembling the Cocktail
Ice
Dark Rum or Non-Alcoholic Spirit — 2 oz
Tea Essence
In the same glass, add a handful of ice, followed by the rum or the non-alcoholic spirit. Then add the tea essence leaving a bit of space for the soda. Finally, top it off with the club soda or sparkling water. Use the bar spoon to gently swizzle it all together. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wheel. That’s it! Cheers and enjoy! Or as they say in Morocco and Cuba — Bssaha and Salud!
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