You can make the ginger syrup ahead, in larger quantity, and store it in the refrigerator for making cocktails or mocktails.

To make the ginger syrup, put 1 cup of chopped and crushed ginger (crushing helps to release the juice), 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water with a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Mix well, and bring it to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer until it becomes a little thick and syrupy. Turn of the heat and let it cool. Strain the syrup into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

Mojitos are generally served in Collins glasses but you can use slightly shorter and wider ones if you prefer, though that isn’t not considered authentic. It makes sense to use tall and narrow glasses as this makes “muddling” easier than in short glasses.

If you’re making multiple Mojitos at the same time and don’t want to spend a lot of time muddling and making them individually, you can put the ginger syrup, sugar, mint leaves and lime slices ( about half a lime per Mojito) in a glass jar and muddle them using a muddler. If you don’t have a muddler, then use the end of a wooden spoon or rolling pin and a small bowl. If you must use a mortar and pestle, then be very gentle with it. The idea is to release the juice in the limes and the essential oils.

Put some ice in each of the 4 glasses. Strain the muddled juice equally into the glasses. Otherwise just divide the mixture equally, muddled residue and all, into the 4 glasses. Top up with soda/ carbonated water.

You can also do this individually in each glass. Put the lime slices, sugar, mint and ginger syrup in each glass, muddle this mixture. Do not remove or strain. Add crushed ice and top up with soda/ carbonated water.

Garnish with more mint leaves and slices of lime and serve with a stirrer and a straw.