Recipes

Mojito

The ultimate Cuban highball and one of the most refreshing cocktails full stop.

Spank, muddle, stir, top up, garnish and slurp – the Mojito is as much a ritual as it is a delicious drink. It’s also one of the most popular cocktails in the world and one that’s unbeatably refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Be careful though - you can easily slip into a couple too many as when made right, that seductive balance of mint, lime, sugar and rum is oh so moreish…

1 serving
  • 60 ml Rum
  • 15 ml Fresh Lime Juice
  • 10 ml Sugar Syrup
  • 1 Handful Mint leaves
  • Soda Water
  1. Add lime juice, sugar syrup and mint leaves into a small jug or tin and gently muddle.
  2. Pour the mix, muddled mint and all, into a tall glass and add a handful of cracked ice.
  3. Pour in the rum and stir with a long-handled spoon. Add more cracked ice and top up with soda water. Garnish with mint and serve
Mojito Cocktail
Mojito Cocktail

Top Tips:

Muddling the mint well is key to unlocking the full flavours of a Mojito. The trick is simply to use a big handful of leaves to start with and clapping them in your hands (or spanking if you prefer that as a term) before you place them into the glass to muddle.  

It’s been reported that there are many hotels in Havana who also add Angostura bitters to cut the sweetness of the Mojito; and whether true or not it’s a great idea and easy to do.

Sugar syrup is the easy way to get it right every time, but there’s something about a Mojito when you use granulated demerara that’s just amazing. Add it in before you muddle (a tea spoon). It takes longer and dissolves slower but well worth it. 

Which Rum to use?

Almost all the ingredients in the Mojito are indigenous to Cuba so it makes sense to pick your rum accordingly… Traditionally, you would make a Mojito with an unaged white rum and harness its lighter profile for that refreshing hit. 

That said, the likes of Eminente Reserva or Ron Santiago De Cuba make for brilliant alternatives and bring in a depth of character into the mix which can be a nice way to change it up if you are enjoying the cocktail later in the evening. 

Spiced Rum (such as Havana Spiced Rum or Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum) can make a joyous alternative to traditional Mojitos too, but don’t be shy to ditch the rum altogether if you are looking for a different profile. Whiskies like Monkey Shoulder or a Calvados like Avallen can make for brilliant riffs on the drink. Meanwhile, if you like the sound of a Mojito but are more into Gin than Rum – head on over to the Southside.

An Abridged, Inebriated History:

The origins of the Mojito is one of evolution. It can be traced to Cuba and the 16th-century version cocktail El Draque, which was named after Sir Francis Drake who landed in Havana in the 1580’s. El Draque was made for medicinal purposes (the crew were suffering from dysentery and scurvy) and is composed of aguardiente, lime, mint and sugar – in a very similar mix to what we know to be a Mojito recipe today.

With the creation of the Bacardi Company in the mid 1800’s and other factors, in time rum replaced aguardiente and the name was evolved into the Mojito, first appearing in cocktail literature in the 1932 edition of “Sloppy Joe’s Bar Cocktail Manual”. 

It surged in popularity over the century and once Ernest Hemmingway made his discovery of the drink in Le Bodeguita del medio and wrote about it thereafter – the legendary cocktail’s destiny was sealed.

Spirits Kiosk
Havana Club 3yo Rum
Havana Club 3yo Rum
70cl40%CU
£19.95
Eminente Reserva Rum
Eminente Reserva Rum
70cl41.3%GB
£49.95
Eminente Ambar Claro Rum
Eminente Ambar Claro Rum
70cl40%GB
£31.95