Mojito: the original recipe for making the refreshing cocktail

Mojito is a very famous and refreshing cocktail from Cuba, also appreciated by writer Ernest Hemingway and Fidel Castro. Easy and quick to make, mojito calls for simple ingredients such as white rum, mint leaves, brown sugar, lime juice, soda and ice.

This cocktail recipe has an alcohol by volume which varies from 11° to 22° according to the rum and it belongs to the Julep family — it means there is hierba buena among the ingredients, that's less bitter than wild mint. Mojito is the perfect summery drink to enjoy with friends as it is served in chilled tall tumblers. Use a glass cylindrical in shape for the soda to let out all its essence.

How to make Mojito

Place two teaspoons of brown sugar and the lime juice in a tall tumbler.

Stir gently and add the mint carefully pressing the ingredients together with a pestle.

Add the rum, ice and finish with a splash of soda.

Garnish the glass with a lime slice or mint leaves. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

To make a good Cuban Mojito, the hierba buena or mint should not be brutally crushed.

Try to match Mojito with fish dishes or shellfishes.

Mojito usually calls for brown sugar, but you can mix it with white sugar.

Roll the limes on the table before cutting and squeezing them to bring out the aroma.

Mojito Variants

Just like other popular cocktails, the Mojito recipe also has several variations. If you want to enjoy a refreshing drink but without any alcohol, you can try the Virgin Mojito.

For a more spring-like and sweet drink, you can enjoy the Strawberry Mojito. If you like vodka, use it instead of gin and make a Vodka Mojito.

Mojito Origins

The origin of the Mojito is still uncertain. According to a legend, the cocktail was invented in the 16th century by Sir Francis Drake, a world-famous English pirate. His version called for unaged raw rum, lime, white sugar, water and hierba buena. In the mid 1800s, Bacardi made the drink very popular until it became really famous in the 20th century.

As for the modern version of mojito, there is no proof of its change. There are many names related to this cocktail such as Attilio De La Fuente or Angel Martinez, who took over in 1942 the Bodeguita del Medio, a bar in Havana Ernest Hemingway used to attend.

About the origin of the name there are many theories. For some, the term mojito derives from mojo, a seasoning made of citrus fruits and garlic used to marinate some dishes of Cuban cooking. For others, it derives from mojadito, that is wet. Finally, someone think the word derives from vudu mojo, that means spell, even if it's the most unlikely theory.