Mojito
Alcoholic cocktail
Category : Alcoolisé
Origin : Cuba
Ingredients of the Mojito cocktail
Preparation of the Mojito cocktail
Cocktail to be prepared directly in the mojito glass Place the mint leaves at the bottom, then add the sugar and the lime wedge Muddle everything carefully with a muddler to extract the flavors from the ingredients, without shredding the mint Fill half the mojito glass with ice cubes (or crushed ice*) Pour in the rum and stir the cocktail gently. Top up the mojito glass with soda water and add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters Serve with TWO straws and a stirrer. You can add a sprig of mint for garnish. * Using crushed ice is not recommended, even though it is more aesthetic and prevents the mint from blocking the straws, as it kills the bubbles in the soda, causing the mojito to lose its flavor. In addition, it melts very quickly, which dilutes the cocktail.
History of the Mojito cocktail
Now one of the world’s most frequently ordered cocktails, the Mojito draws its roots from Cuba’s tradition of rum, mint, and lime. Behind its apparent simplicity lies a centuries-old story, blending established facts with enduring legends.
The Cuban ancestor: the “Draque”The Mojito is said to descend from a much older Cuban drink, the Draque (or Draquecito): a rustic mix of cane spirit, lime, mint, and sugar. Tradition links it to the English privateer Francis Drake, nicknamed El Draque; this appealing lineage, however, belongs more to legend than to documented history. It mainly bears witness to how long the rum-mint-lime combination has existed on the island.
The birth of the modern MojitoIt was in Havana, in the first half of the 20th century, that the cocktail took on its current form, as Cuban rum became more refined. The bar La Bodeguita del Medio, opened in 1942, is traditionally credited with popularizing it and remains an emblematic spot for fans of the drink today.
From Cuba to the worldThe Mojito was first exported to the United States, notably to Miami within the Cuban community, before making its way to Europe. Carried by the global craze for cocktails from the 1990s and 2000s onward, it eventually came to be made in most bars around the world, establishing itself as a true classic of contemporary mixology.
The Mojito in popular cultureErnest Hemingway, a regular at La Bodeguita del Medio, helped make it famous — the house attributes to him the phrase “Mi mojito en La Bodeguita.” Since then, the cocktail has appeared in films and TV series, reinforcing its status as a Cuban icon.
SourcesWayne Curtis, And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails, Crown Publishing, 2006.
David Wondrich, Imbibe!, Perigee, 2007 (on the disputed origins of the Draque/Mojito).