Havana, Cuba, is the birthplace of the Mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate. One story traces the Mojito to a similar 16th century drink known as "El Draque", after Sir Francis Drake. In 1586, after his successful raid at Cartagena de Indias Drake's ships sailed towards Havana but there was an epidemic of dysentery and scurvy on board. It was known that the local South American Indians had remedies for various tropical illnesses, so a small boarding party went ashore on Cuba and came back with ingredients for an effective medicine. The ingredients were aguardiente de caña (translated as burning water, a crude form of rum made from sugar cane) mixed with local tropical ingredients: lime, sugarcane juice, and mint. Lime juice on its own would have significantly prevented scurvy and dysentery.
Read more from Difford's Guide 1586Tafia/rum was soon added as it became widely available to the British (ca. 1650). Mint, lime and sugar were also helpful in hiding the harsh taste of this spirit. While this drink was not called a Mojito at this time, it was the original combination of these ingredients. Some historians contend that African slaves who worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields during the 19th century were instrumental in the cocktail's origin. Guarapo, the sugar cane juice often used in Mojitos, was a popular drink among the slaves who named it. It never originally contained lime juice.
Read more from Wikipedia 1650There are several theories behind the origin of the name Mojito: one such theory holds that name relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used to flavour dishes. Another theory is that the name Mojito is simply a derivative of mojadito (Spanish for "a little wet"), the diminutive of mojado ("wet"). Due to the vast influence of immigration from the Canary Islands, the term probably came from the mojo creole marinades adapted in Cuba using citrus (as opposed to traditional Isleno types).
Read more from Mental Floss 1930sThe Mojito has routinely been presented as a favorite drink of author Ernest Hemingway. It has also often been said that Ernest Hemingway made the bar called La Bodeguita del Medio famous when he became one of its regulars and wrote "My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita" on a wall of the bar. This epigraph, handwritten and signed in his name, persists despite doubts expressed by Hemingway biographers about such patronage and the author's taste for mojitos.
A survey by an international market research company found that in 2016 the Mojito was the most popular cocktail in Britain and France.
Served On the rocks; poured over ice
Standard garnish:
sprig of mint (Yerba buena in the original recipe), lemon slice
Standard drinkware:
Collins Glass
Ingredients:
4 cl white rum
3 cl fresh lime juice
6 sprigs of mint
2 teaspoons sugar (or 2 cl of sugar syrup)
soda water
Preparation:
Muddle mint leaves with sugar and lime juice. Add a splash of soda water and fill the glass with cracked ice. Pour the rum and top with soda water. Garnish with sprig of mint leaves and lemon slice. Serve with straw.
I recall travelling to Havana for the first time, and sitting down at the bar with my buddy Blake the moment we got into Havana. A well seasoned Cuban musician drummed the bar with his hands as our bartender began the ardous task of muddling the mint in the bottom of two tall glasses for our Mojitos. Blake drummed along with our bar friend while the 18 year old Havana Ron was poured. It was an indelible moment, and the drink(s) were some of the best I've tasted. -J
2005