Mojito is a refreshing white rum, mint, and lime concoction. Here you’ll find the authentic mojito recipe and the only formula you’ll ever need to make the best mojitos. Ever!
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I first posted this mojito recipe in 2011 while working for Venezuelan rum producer Ron Santa Teresa. The story is the result of the many rum history books I read then. I owe the recipe to the King of Cocktails, the one and only Dale Degroff.
Mojito: a cocktail with a long story
Besides the fact they are the best-known and drank rum-based drinks, Mojito and Cubalibre have in common the mystery of their origins.
The quintessential Cuban drink, it’s believed the Mojito was ‘adapted’ from the Drake or Draquecito. The Draquecito (‘Little Drake’ in Spanish) became popular during Prohibition (1919-1933) when Americans traveled to the Caribbean island to escape the ban.
Legend has it that Richard Drake —a cousin of Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596)— slave trader and privateer of the British Crown, made it for the first time during his travels through the Caribbean.
At that time, aguardiente was mixed with water, sugar, lime, and mint. But that concoction wasn’t made for refreshing purposes. It was intended to warm up the sailors and combat scurvy. Drake may have introduced the drink to Cuba.
Later, in the middle of the 19th century, when rum production began on the island, rum replaced aguardiente in its preparation, and Draquecito subsequently led to the Mojito.
Hemingway & La Bodeguita del Medio
It is said that the drink was “created” in La Bodeguita del Medio, a very traditional bar in La Habana Vieja, the old colonial area of Havana, a few blocks from the Cathedral. There, American writer and Nobel Prize for Literature Ernest Hemingway was an habitué.
A rum killer, Hemingway wrote in the ’50s: “My Mojito in La Bodeguita, my Daiquiri in El Floridita.” He was referring to the two bars he regularly refreshed with two of his favorite drinks.
According to Erasmo Brito Lima, a founding member of the Association of Cuban Bartenders, the Mojito, dating from 1910, was prepared for the first time in a bar on the beach of La Concha.
Contrary to what is intended to believe, its creation is not associated with any particular rum brand.
How to make the authentic mojito
To make this recipe, you’ll need some bar tools that you can easily find online, including:
Other mojito recipes
For variations on the same theme, check my other mojito recipes:
- Blueberry Lavender Mojito
- Ginger Mojito
- Honeydew Melon Mojito
- Passion Fruit Mojito
- Raspberry Mojito
- Rose mojito
- Strawberry & Basil Mojito
- The Esmeralda Frozen Mojito
- Watermelon Mojito
And in case you have missed it, also have a no-bake mojito cheesecake recipe.
Authentic mojito recipe
The following is the recipe. Thanks for subscribing to my Youtube channel and visiting my Amazon store.
Mojito
Ingredients
- 6-8 Mint leaves
- 3/4 oz simple syrup one part water, one part granulated sugar
- 1 ½ oz Ron de Venezuela Santa Teresa Claro
- 3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz Club soda
Instructions
- In a shaker, muddle the mint with the simple syrup.
- Add the rum and lime juice, and fill with ice.
- Shake well and strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice.
- Top off with club soda and garnish with a mint sprig.
Nutrition
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