Cocktail N°1 in the hearts of the French, the mojito inevitably evokes the festive evenings of the trendy bars on the Cuban beaches. Because yes, the mojito comes from Cuba. But what do we really know about this cocktail? How was he born? What does this word mean mojito ? Quai Sud tells you all about the origin of the mojito and explains how to prepare this Cuban-style cocktail.
The origin of the mojito, between myth and reality
Several theories maintain the myth around the birth of the mojito. The most famous is related to Francis drake, a not very friendly English privateer nicknamed El Draque (the Dragon). In the midst of the war against Spain, England sent Drake to sack the Spanish trading posts in the New World, including Cuba in 1586. It was there that Drake would have discovered tafia, an eau-de-vie drawn from the sugar cane. It would have added sugar and mint, a plant known to sailors to fight effectively against nausea, and the ancestor of the mojito would thus have been born.
We can seriously doubt that the corsair, like a good pirate of the Caribbean accustomed to skimming the oceans, tried to cure his seasickness… on the other hand, a way to maintain his hangover, it is possible! Nevertheless, the legend remained because even today, some customers ask for a Drake when they want a mojito.
According to other hypotheses, it was invented by slaves in the sugar cane fields because the word mojito would come from a West African language, or it would be inspired by the Mint Julep, a cocktail from the southern United States that mixes bourbon and mint… True or false, what is certain is that our current mojito was created around 1910 by a bartender from Havana. The latter replaced the tafia with rum and refreshed everything with lime juice. Mojito would come from wet, wet in Spanish, and of mojo, a Cuban culinary preparation made with lime.
Prepared in this way, the mojito became the emblem of Cuba in the 1920s and 1930s, when Americans came to the island to escape Prohibition. Then it's Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Cuba until 1960, which made him famous. An inveterate reveler, Hemingway assiduously frequented bars, notably the mythical Bodeguita del Medio, which has been serving mojitos with a dash of sparkling water since 1946. Was it his favorite drink? Probably not, the guy preferred to get drunk with stronger juices, but the writer and the cocktail have forever entered the legend of Cuba.
It will be necessary to wait until 1993, when the Pernod Ricard group joins forces with the Cuban rum brand Havana Club, for the French to discover the mojito. Since then, its success has not been denied in France, to the point of becoming the favorite cocktail of our parties !
The recipe for the authentic Cuban mojito
How to make a real Cuban mojito? Follow the guide, on the way to Cuba! There, we do not joke with the ingredients of the mojito, starting with the rum. Well yes, we do not nickname Cuba rum island for nothing ! You need a white Cuban rum, both sweet and delicate to find all the authenticity of the local terroir in your glass. Next, the mint: only good grass. It is quite difficult to find in France, except in some garden centers ; the Cubans use only the macerated stem, with a strong scent but less bitter than that of the leaves. Ditto for the lime: the juice but not the bark, too bitter. Sugar is always white, and water… flat! Yes, no bubbles, because in Cuba, we always prepare the mojito the day before. Sparkling water is only if you consume it immediately, to release the aromas. Finally, no crushed ice but whole ice cubes.
Of course, you are free to follow your own recipe. Here is ours for a minute mojito:
- Place a sprig or 10 fresh mint leaves in a tumbler type glass.
- Add 2 teaspoons of white sugar and the juice of half a lime. Crush everything without grinding.
- Add 5 cl of rum, 5 ice cubes, then dilute with 10 cl of sparkling water (always 2 volumes of water for 1 volume of rum).
- Gently mix with your special mojito pestle.
- Decorate with mint leaves and a slice of lime.
Also try the cocktail variants: Virgin Mojito alcohol-free, Royal Mojito with champagne or Strawberry Mojito… There is something for every taste !
Your friends arrive unexpectedly for an aperitif? Do not panic, our mix for mojito will save your evening! In a salad bowl, pour 30 cl of white rum and the mojito mix. Leave to macerate for 1 hour. Mix, filter and add 1 liter of sparkling water. Provide lots of ice cubes and consume before the bubbles disappear!
Discover all our mixes for mojitos to prepare express mojitos, and don't forget: alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation 😉
