Mojito

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Cocktail History

The Mojito is a classic cocktail that was created in Havana, Cuba in the 19th century. It’s believed to have been made as variation of the El Draque, a recipe nicknamed the world’s first cocktail, and it is traditionally made with a refreshing combination of light rum, simple syrup, lime, mint leaves, and soda water.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water and dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, neutral flavor.

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Mint Sprig: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. I used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Clear color with muddled floating mint leaves

• Aroma: Bright mint, lime and a hint of sugarcane

• Taste: Crisp and light flavor with a harmonious blend of fresh mint, tangy lime, and the subtle sweetness of sugar and a warmth from the rum

• Finish: Lingering minty freshness and a soft, subtle sweetness from the sugar

Kendall’s Take: “It’s hard not to love this classic! I hadn’t tried a Mojito in years before this tasting. The last one I had was apparently not all that great; I remember it being filled with lime and mint chunks that kept getting sucked up through my straw. But I adored this version and have since made it several times. My favorite way to enjoy them is sipping one poolside in the Mexico sunshine.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.