The Mojito is Havana in a glass: white rum, fresh lime, sugar, mint, and soda water over ice. Its ancestor, the Draque, dates to the sixteenth century; the modern Mojito took shape in early-twentieth-century Cuban bars and never left. It is one of the most refreshing long drinks ever assembled.
"My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita."
— attributed to Ernest Hemingway; almost certainly a posthumous bar sign hung by La Bodeguita itselfOn the Mint
Mint is the soul of the drink and the easiest thing to ruin. Do not pulverise it. Press it gently — once or twice against the sugar and lime — only enough to release its oil.
Shredded mint turns the drink bitter and fills it with debris. The aroma you want comes from whole leaves and a generous sprig slapped over the top, not from hard muddling.
Balance and Build
Sugar and lime must balance before the rum goes anywhere near the glass. Build it tall: sugar or syrup, lime juice, a gentle press of mint, then rum and ice, and finally a top of soda water.
Stir from the bottom to lift the sweetness off the base. Serve with a straw — the Mojito is meant to be sipped slowly while the ice does its slow work.
Variations
The Mojito with muddled strawberries — fruit-sweet and summer-pink.
- 2 ozWhite rum
- 1 ozLime juice
- 3Strawberries
The Mojito gone dark — aged rum and demerara sugar, deeper and richer.
- 2 ozAged rum
- 1 ozLime juice
- 1/2 ozDemerara syrup
The Mojito's gin cousin — lime, mint, and sugar shaken and served up.
- 2 ozGin
- 1 ozLime juice
- 3/4 ozSimple syrup