Preparation
- Gently muddle the mint with sugar and lime juice in the glass. Add a small splash of soda water and dissolve the sugar.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour in the rum.
- Top up with cold soda water and stir gently from bottom to top.
- Finally, garnish: mint sprig and lime wheel.
What does it taste like?
The first sip is sharp and fresh, that's from 20 milliliters of lime juice. Right behind it you smell and taste the mint, cool and herbaceous. The sugar catches the acidity without making the drink sweet. Rum gives the whole thing body and a light sweetness from sugarcane. Because soda is added, the Mojito is long and fizzy, not a short, hard-hitting drink. The ice dilutes it further. In the end, mint lingers on the palate, and the alcohol feels milder than it actually is.
When does it work best?
The Mojito is a summer drink for an evening on the balcony or at a party. It's long, refreshing, and not particularly strong, so it holds up well over time. Beginners almost always like it, since nothing tastes bitter. Anyone looking for bold, short cocktails will find it too light. It tastes best freshly mixed—don't let it sit.
What matters
Press the mint only gently. Bruised, torn leaves make the Mojito grassy and bitter; the aroma releases with just light pressure. Dissolve the sugar first with lime juice and a small splash of soda, otherwise it'll sit gritty at the bottom of the glass. Fill the glass completely with ice, not halfway. At the end, stir only carefully from bottom to top so the carbonation stays intact.
Where the drink comes from
The Mojito is firmly tied to Cuba. Exactly how it emerged from older mixtures of sugarcane spirit, lime, sugar, and herbs isn't documented. Stories about famous sailors or writers are mostly embellished, so don't believe them too quickly. More interesting is the principle behind it: mint aroma and lime acidity are held together by sugar, ice, and carbonation. Today's version with white rum and soda shows this very clearly. Anyone mixing it themselves needs, above all, fresh mint and fresh limes.