Old-fashioned Cuban Mojito with Lime and Mint


A mojito (pronounced mo-hee-to), is the same drink that we saw James Bond (i.e. the handsome Pierce Brosnan) sipping in Cuba, for the movie Die Another Day. This is one of Cuba’s oldest cocktails, and comes from the African word mojo, which means "to place a little spell".

Legend traces its 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 (similar to rum), sugar, lime and mint. Early on, it was consumed for medicinal purposes. But somewhere around the mid-1800s, the recipe was altered and gained in popularity as the original Bacardi Company was established. The new version became famous as the Mojito we all know. So here's the traditional cocktail recipe. This is a very sparkling and refreshing drink, perfect for cocktail parties or dinner events. In fact, due to the presence of lime and mint, this is one cocktail that has a lot of cleansing ability!

Ingredients
8-10 fresh mint sprigs
1 tbsp sugar dissolved in 1 tbsp water
3-4 tbsp fresh lime juice (use lime, not lemon)
1 oz light rum
club soda
mint sprigs and lime wedges - for garnish

Method
In a tall glass, crush part of the mint with a fork. Add the sugar syrup and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Fill with 3-4 ice cubes. Add rum and shake a bit. Top off with chilled club soda. Garnish with a lime slice and some mint leaves, and serve immediately.

Similar Recipes:
The Blue Hawaiin
Lychee Martini


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8 comments :

Namratha said...

This is my hubby's fav drink and we are always on the look out for authentic Carribean restaurants so he can have some! Looks refreshing Mansi! :)

Anonymous said...

I love mojitos! So refreshing with mint and lime. It takes only one to give me the warm, fuzzy feel :)

Cris said...

It sounds delicious... I would love tro try that, very similar to our caipirinha. Nice medicine huh. :-)

Anonymous said...

Ooh wow! pierce brosnan or not, I'll take that any day!!:)

~DK

Deborah Dowd said...

Sounds like a wonderful cocktail, simple with great fresh, light flavors.

Nora B. said...

Interesting post. This is actually one of my favorite drinks and why my partner grew mint in our garden. :-) I always grab a bottle of Cuban rum for this purpose when I am at the duty free shops at the airport.

Sharona May said...

Thanks for the Mojito recipe. I enjoy the flavor of the original Mojito. Recently, though, I had a Rasberry Mojito at a restaurant and it was very good too!

Sharona May
http://birdfood-sharona.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Even better with dark rum, muddled mint, skip the sparkle and use Splenda rather than sugar. Though I wonder if my version shouldn't be called a Rum Julip ;)