The Mojito is as refreshing as a Caribbean breeze. It's a little bit sweet and citrusy fresh, with bright mint laying cover for the earthier bite of rum that makes the drink's base. It's as Cuban as a cocktail can be, dating back to the 1600s. And in this century, it has become wildly popular for downing in the hotter months.
Some recipes call for simple syrup and lime juice to save you the time of muddling the grains and freshly squeezed stuff, before mushing them with the mint to release its sharp fragrance. We prefer it the hard way, with a little elbow grease. If you're at an outdoor bar, sunglasses on, while you wield that muddler, all the better.
A Little Background
As if we'd talk about the Mojito without bringing up Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway, writer of strong words and drinker of strong beverages, moved to Cuba in 1939, and a grandiose myth ballooned up about his deep admiration for Mojitos. At the iconic La Bodeguita bar in Havana, there's even a handwritten note scrawled by Hemingway on the wall: Mi mojito en La Bodeguita, mi daiquiri en El Floridita. Or, "My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri en El Floridita."
But Ernest Hemingway as a Mojito man is a myth, according to Eater, and that wall quote is forged. Really, Hemingway liked daiquiris. At least, he wrote about daiquiris all the time, and never once mentioned a Mojito. The intrigue!
These days, drinking a Mojito with Cuban rum is a tricky endeavor unless you're actually in Cuba (or a country that doesn't hate Cuba). Havana Club is the most iconic brand of Cuban rum, but we in the States are blocked from drinking it thanks to a strict embargo. However, you can get Bacardi's version of Havana Club, which is made in Puerto Rico and sold in the States. (There's a lot of drama and a nearly 20-year legal battle over which is the "real" Havana Club rum that you can read up on here.) If authenticity doesn't bother you all that much, just grab a bottle of Bacardi Superior at the liquor store. It's up to the task of making a damn good Mojito.
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The Mojito is a clean and simple highball, made with just one spirit. In that family is another rum drink, the gingery Dark and Stormy, which hails from Bermuda. And the Daiquiri, Hemingway's real drink of choice, is another, tangier rum cocktail with deep roots in the Caribbean.
If it's mint you're after, the Mint Julep is packed with it, and bourbon.
Food styling by Sean Dooley
Prop Styling by Ashley Naum
