Mojito-making at Airenumo
There are many fun things to do in Puerto Rico. At Airenumo in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, you can learn the art of “Mojito” making. Puerto Rico is the Rum Capital of the World. Not only is it home to numerous distilleries — including Bacardi, the world’s largest — but it’s also where molasses, a main ingredient in rum, is grown. Moreover, laws in Puerto Rico state that rums must be aged in oak barrels for at least one year, leading to a higher quality product. Airenumo staff will set you up with fresh mint and lime, 1.5 ounces of local Don Q Cristal and club soda. You’ll first muddle the mint and lime. Next, you’ll add your sweetener, which can be basic simple syrup or a flavored syrup of tamarind, passionfruit or guava for some local flavor and fill the mixing tin with ice. Pour in your rum and then pour the entire concoction into a glass, topping it with soda water. Pour the mixture back in the tin and then back into the glass for extra mixing. Enjoy! Airenumo also serves up delicious Caribbean and Spanish-inspired cuisine, which can enhance the local experience.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.