This Cuban drink is extremely refreshing and is a
great cocktail to drink on a hot summer day. Mojito means "little
sauce" in Cuba, where this drink is very popular. I call this drink
the Cuban version of a Mint Julep.
Bacardi Company traces the
drink’s roots to 1586, when Francis Drake and his pirates
tried to sack Havana for its gold. While the invasion was
unsuccessful, Drake’s associate, Richard Drake, was said to
have invented a mojito-like cocktail known as El Draque made
with aguardiente (a crude forerunner of rum), sugar, lime
and mint. Early on, it was consumed for medicinal purposes.
Around the mid-1800s, the recipe was altered and gained in
popularity as the original Bacardi Company was established.
Other accounts suggest that slaves working in Cuban
sugar cane fields in the late 19th century invented the
Mojito. This drink is a cousin of the Brazilian cocktail, Caipirinha.
Mojito - Cuban Mojito Recipe
Recipe Type:
Beverage and Cocktails,
Cuban
Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 min
Simple Syrup Cook Time: 5 min
For Each Serving:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar or 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
8 to 10 fresh
mint leaves, washed and dried
1 lime, halved crosswise or 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed
lime juice
2 ounces white rum
Crushed ice
3 ounces mineral water or soda water, chilled
Mint sprigs for garnish
Preparation:
Place the mint
leaves and sugar in a tall glass. Crush sugar (or simple syrup) and mint
leaves with the back of a spoon for approximately 20 to 30
seconds until you can smell the mint.
Cut the lime
in half, removing any seeds and discarding them. Squeeze the lime juice out from both halves
of the lime into the serving glass or mug,
and then drop 1/2 lime into the glass.
Pour in the
rum and stir. Add plenty of crushed ice and then top off the Mojito mixture with mineral water or club soda.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.
