Mmmmm......Mojitos

As the weather warms up my thoughts are turning to my favorite summer drink...the Mojito!!
I'm telling you, this is the finest of summer time drinks....one sip and you feel like you are lying on the beach in Miami. The first time I tried one of these I was with my cousin, Katrina, in Kansas City and we were at a tapas bar called La Bodega http://www.kansascitymenus.com/labodega/
She said that I just had to try one of their mojitos....I did and I was hooked!!! I came back from that trip and told my husband that we just had to plant more mint in the yard so that I could make my own.
Here's the recipe I use: what you'll need:
2½ oz. light rum
1 lime
1 tbsp. simple syrup
mint leaves (8 or so sprigs worth)
ice
club soda
tall glass
spoon, or some other utensil that can be used to mash the mint leaves

Though the directions might seem longer than your usual cocktail recipe, don’t be put off: it’s actually a lot simpler than it looks, especially if you have the foresight to mix up a batch of simple syrup in advance.
1. Make simple syrup: Heat equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan until just before boiling and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Make up a big batch – say a cup of sugar and a cup of water – than toss it in the fridge … it’ll easily keep for a couple of weeks, during which time you’ll be able to whip up mojitos at a moment’s notice, to the delight of your very fortunate friends.
2. Place the mint leaves and 1 tbsp. of the simple syrup (cooled) in the glass, then squish it all around with a spoon (or whatever appropriate utensil you can find) for 20-30 seconds, until you can smell that good minty smell.
3. Cut the lime in half. Squeeze the juice out from both halves into the glass, then drop one half into the glass.
4. Pour in the rum and stir.
5. Add plenty of ice, then top off the mixture with club soda.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!