TWO FANTASTIC COCKTAILS FROM EL BULLI

SUGAR CANE MOJITOS AND CAIPIRINHAS
From El Bull

Serves 10

Ingredients:
5 lengths of sugar cane

For Mojito
3/4 cup rhum agricole (such as Neisson Rhum Reserve Special)
15 fresh mint leaves

For Caipirinha
3/4 cup cachaca
To finish: demerara sugar
Citric acid crystals
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Grated lime zest
10 fresh mint leaves
crushed ice

Preparation
For sugar cane rods:
1. With serrated knife, cut sugar cane following its natural separations, which should not be less than 3 inches.
2. Peel the bark of the sugar cane.
3. Cut the tender inside of the sugar cane into rectangular rods 3 inches in length by 1/2 inch wide to produce 20 rods of sugar cane.

For sugar cane mojitos:
1. Place 10 sugar cane rods in a Ziploc bag, along with rhum agricole and mint leaves.
2. Seal the bag tightly and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

For sugar cane caipirinhas:
12. Place 10 sugar cane rods in a Ziploc bag, along with cachaca.
2. Seal the bag tightly and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

To finish cocktails:
1. Remove sugar cane rods from Ziploc bag.
2. With a knife, make a small vertical cut in one end of each of the mojito rods and insert a whole mint leaf into each, being careful to center the leaves.
3. Sprinkle demerara sugar and grated lime zest over all the rods.
4. Sprinkle two citric-acid crystals on each mojito rod.
5. Fill two glasses with crushed ice and place five mojito rods and five finished caipirinha rods in each.
6. Serve at once.

To enjoy: Chew and lick the cane to extract the cocktail. (The cane is not eaten).