Mojito

The MOJITO is an iconic Cuban cocktail that emerged from a Havana bar around 1910. It’s a bartender’s least favorite concoction to make in a bar, not because it requires many types of liquor, but because it’s time-consuming to prepare properly. So avoid ordering these from the bartender and make them at home, where you can also be sure that your mint is fresh. The video tutorial link above shows the steps.

Requirements: 8-10 mint leaves, mint sprig, simple syrup, white rum, lime juice, seltzer/club soda

• 8-10 mint leaves
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 2 oz. white rum
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1.5 oz. seltzer or club soda
• mint sprig for garnish

In a Collins glass, gently muddle the mint leaves with simple syrup. Add white rum, lime juice and seltzer (or club soda). Fill glass halfway with crushed ice and stir. Top the glass with more crushed ice and gently incorporate with a quick stir. Garnish with a mint sprig. Place straw between the mint sprig leaves.

Particulars: Place the mint leaves in the palm of your hand and slap them hard with the other to open the mint oils before placing the sprig leaves garnish in the glass. Some like to top the glass, after filled with crushed ice, with a bit more seltzer or even sometimes more rum (3/4 oz.). Many disagree with the addition of any seltzer or club soda at all. Cuban Mojitos use sugar instead of simple syrup. Some methods suggest shaking (pre-seltzer), not stirring. Others like to muddle quarter cuts of lime with mint at the base of the Collins glass and leave the lime inside the drink, much like a caipirinha. You can pick and choose your favorite preparation method.

History: The Mojito evolved from an earlier 16th-century drink similar to a Caipirinha which was used to settle the stomach of the Englishman Sir Francis Drake, who was a “privateer” (pirate) and later switched out the cachaca for rum.

Favorite Drink Of: Ernest Hemingway