Silent J please, (moh-HEE-toh) it happens to be the oldest Cuban cocktail, we can thank Sir Francis Drake for it’s origination, and countless hosts and bartenders since then, for it’s continuation and popularity.
Originally called the Draque, the mojito, Cuban Spanish for ‘to make wet, or moisten’, is a very interesting drink with an even more interesting history. In speaking with a few locals here on South Padre Island, there are but a few bars and eateries that serve it.
My wife has taken to it, so I thought I would learn a few things about the refreshing cocktail.
One of the tools involved, (I am a tool person, so I took delight in researching this.) Is what they call in the trade, a muddler. The muddler was originally called a Toddy stick, this tool was used to make, well… Toddy’s, crushing the lumps of sugar in drinks. Speaking of lumps and cubes of sugar, I understand that Absinthe is popular (and legal) now. They got rid of the Wormwood in it’s production, so consumers don’t go into a Lsd type fit anymore… but then, that’s another story, isn’t it?
The mojito is using a Collins glass, Sugar, (the Cubans will likely substitute Cane juice), lime juice, a few leaves of Mint, a few neat wedges of Lime added later, after gently muddling the Mint leaves. At this point, caution is urged, one should be gentle, you want to bruise the leaves to release the flavor, not tear or shred the leaves. The reason is that, if mashed and torn, the leaves will impart the rather bitter vegetal flavor, negating the aromatic mint flavors. Crushed ice is suggested, then the good quality rum and Club soda. Top this with a fresh sprig of Mint.
An interesting fact, if you substitute still water and delete the spearmint you end up with Navy Grog.
The classic British recipe was 1 part rum, 3 parts water, lime juice, and sugar. The rum was actually an incentive to get the sailors to drink the lime juice which prevented scurvy aboard ship…. Dang, another story there.
A little trivia:
In the 2006 film, Miami Vice, Isabella takes Sonny Crockett to a Havana bar that is well known for serving mojito’s, after Sonny tells her he’s a “fiend for mojitos”.
Good clip showing the drink being made;
Information on Absinthe;
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