Looking for an easy, festive cocktail for your Christmas celebration?

I have to share this Coconut Rum Cocktail with you right away!

When I was shopping at Ipercoop (the Italian version of Walmart) for the gigantic Cheeseboard I took to my friend, Lori's, Christmas party, I spotted a big, beautiful bunch of mint.

I love mint.

Well, I love mint with chocolate.

And I love mint . . . especially with rum!

"Mojitos," I shouted.  Not really. But I wanted to.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I ventured to Ipercoop on a Friday afternoon during the holiday season.

It was a madhouse.

Don't these people need to be at work?

Are you familiar with the stereotype of Neopolitan drivers?

Stop lights and stop signs are "suggestions."

Two marked lanes on a street? Not a problem -- make it 4!

"Emergency lane?"  Nah, apparently, that's their personal "fast lane" during rush hour.

Well, I've concluded the same stereotype can be used to describe how they shop and maneuver their shopping carts.

I grabbed my meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits AND mint and got the heck out of there as fast as I could.

Mojitos on my mind!

Back in the relative tranquility of my own home, I started my research on a festive holiday cocktail with mint.

I was inspired by this mojito recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

I wanted something simple, using ingredients that I had on-hand.  Because I was not . . . repeat, "NOT" going back to the store until summer!

I used regular milk instead of coconut milk, but I poured a full 2 ounces of coconut rum.

Note: when using regular milk, the order of ingredients is super important.

Heed my advice, unless you're fond of cocktails that look like science experiments.  I explain this further down in the post . . .

I also opted for simple syrup instead of regular sugar.

I prefer simple syrup because it's easier to mix into a cocktail.

You can buy simple syrup, but it's really easy to make --  just equal amounts of water and sugar.  Whisk or stir while heating over medium high heat.  Once the sugar is dissolved, the mixture will be clear. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  You can store simple syrup in a covered container in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

I tasted my version before adding any Club Soda/sparkling water and I loved it.

Stop right there, I said.

I tossed a couple cranberries on top, along with a sprig of mint.

It made me smile.

Hello Mr. Coconut Rum Cocktail.  So festive!

I couldn't wait for Jeff to get home from work to give me his input.  (I ended up reducing the sweetness at his suggestion.)

Okay. So about the "order of ingredients" . . .

Mint, simple syrup (muddle this), lime juice, lots of ice, rum, stir well, milk, garnish, serve.

See how far apart the lime juice and milk are?  Yeah.  If you put those two together, you're going to have to drink your cocktail . . . with a spoon!

Don't ask me how I found this out!

If you're able to give this coconut rum cocktail a try, let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

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