Byrma Braham discovered the mojito—with its rush of mint and lime and its sunny taste of rum—during a trip to Cuba nearly twenty years ago. She began to perfect her own version, growing just the right kind of spearmint and serving her handiwork during parties at her now-closed Avisca Fine Art, a Marietta gallery.
When the art business slowed a few years ago, Braham turned to drink—her mojito mix. She bottled it in a commercial kitchen, using her abundant fresh spearmint and lime juice, and sold it at the Marietta Square Farmers Market. Encouraged by the favorable response, she set up stalls at other markets, developed drink-mix variations with ginger and hibiscus, and added a jerk-seasoning blend made with thyme from her garden.
Mo’ Mint & Thyme’s mixes are engineered for cocktails, but Braham says sales are driven by kids enjoying the product sans alcohol: “We like to joke our best customers are under five feet tall.” In winter, find her products at Marietta and Emory farmers markets, among others.
This article originally appeared in our February 2014 issue.
