A sophisticated twist on a classic mojito, featuring the deep, earthy flavour of black garlic syrup, paired with dark rum, orange, and basil.

Ingredients:

For the Mojito:

• 1½ ounces dark rum
• 1 orange slice, halved
• 3 basil leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
• 1 ounce black garlic simple syrup (recipe below)
• Soda water

For the Black Garlic Syrup:

• ½ cup hot water
• ½ cup Demerara sugar
• 3 cloves Garlicious Grown black garlic
• 1–2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method:

To Make the Black Garlic Syrup:

1. Bring ½ cup of water to a boil.
2. Stir in the Demerara sugar until fully dissolved.
3. Pour the syrup into a blender and add the black garlic cloves. Blend until finely ground.
4. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove solids.
5. Add 1–2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and adjust to taste. The syrup should have a sweet, earthy flavour with a slight acidity.

To Make the Mojito:

1. Press basil leaves and half an orange slice in the bottom of a glass filled with ice.
2. Add 1 ounce of black garlic syrup and 1½ ounces of dark rum. Stir well.
3. Top with soda water.
4. Garnish with the remaining orange slice and a sprig of basil.