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Culinary Explorer
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Classic Mojito
Created by
Havana's gift to hot afternoons: white rum and fresh lime married with gently bruised spearmint, lengthened with sparkling soda over a mountain of crushed ice. This is the drink that made Ernest Hemingway a regular at La Bodeguita del Medio.
Beverages
Cuban
BBQ
Dinner Party
Outdoor Dining
5 min
Active Time
0 min cook•5 min total
Yield1 cocktail
The mojito is older than Cuba itself. Spanish colonizers drank a crude version called El Draque in the sixteenth century, named for Sir Francis Drake, made with aguardiente, lime, sugarcane, and mint. It was medicine then, prescribed for dysentery and scurvy. Somewhere along the way, it became pleasure.
The modern mojito emerged from Havana's bar culture in the early twentieth century, perfected by bartenders who understood that balance is everything. Too much sugar and you have candy. Too much lime and your face puckers. Too much mint and the rum disappears. The proportions I give you here are canonical, the same ratios poured at La Bodeguita del Medio where Hemingway allegedly left his famous endorsement on the wall.
The technique matters more than most people realize. I have watched countless bartenders destroy mint by grinding it to a paste, releasing bitter chlorophyll that ruins the drink. The muddling should be gentle. Coaxing, not punishing. You are asking the mint to share its oils, not beating a confession from it.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh spearmint leaves
Quantity
8-10 leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
fresh lime juice
Quantity
1 ounce
freshly squeezed (about 1 lime)
simple syrup
Quantity
3/4 ounce
or substitute 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
white Cuban-style rum
Quantity
2 ounces
club soda
Quantity
2 ounces
chilled
crushed or pebble ice
Quantity
1 cup
lime wheel
Quantity
1
for garnish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh spearmint leaves | 8-10 leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish |
| fresh lime juicefreshly squeezed (about 1 lime) | 1 ounce |
| simple syrupor substitute 2 teaspoons granulated sugar | 3/4 ounce |
| white Cuban-style rum | 2 ounces |
| club sodachilled | 2 ounces |
| crushed or pebble ice | 1 cup |
| lime wheelfor garnish | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Highball glass (12-14 ounces)
- •Wooden muddler or bar spoon
- •Jigger or measuring cup
- •Lewis bag or clean kitchen towel for crushing ice
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the mint
Place the spearmint leaves in the bottom of a sturdy highball glass. Add the simple syrup. Using a wooden muddler or the back of a bar spoon, press the mint gently against the glass with a twisting motion. You want to bruise the leaves, not pulverize them. Five or six gentle presses will release the essential oils from the surface of the leaves. The moment you smell that bright, clean mint fragrance rising from the glass, stop. Overworked mint turns bitter and grassy.
Spearmint is the traditional choice. Peppermint is too aggressive and will overpower the rum. If your market sells generic 'mint,' give it a sniff. You want sweet and herbaceous, not medicinal. - 2
Add lime and rum
Pour in the fresh lime juice and rum. Stir briefly with a bar spoon to combine the syrup, lime, and spirits. The mint leaves should be floating freely now, their oils dispersed throughout the liquid. Take a moment to appreciate the pale green tint beginning to form.
- 3
Add the ice
Fill the glass generously with crushed or pebble ice, mounding it slightly above the rim. Crushed ice is essential here. Large cubes dilute too slowly and fail to integrate with the drink. The small irregular pieces chill rapidly while creating pockets of concentrated flavor throughout. If you only have cubed ice, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and give it several firm whacks with a rolling pin.
Pebble ice from your refrigerator's dispenser works beautifully. The sonic ice from drive-through restaurants is even better if you can get it. - 4
Top with soda
Pour the chilled club soda over the ice in a slow, steady stream. Watch the bubbles lift the mint leaves and carry them through the drink like confetti. Do not stir vigorously at this point. A gentle swizzle with your bar spoon, lifting from the bottom, is all that's needed. You want to marry the ingredients without flattening all that beautiful effervescence.
- 5
Garnish and serve
Slap the remaining mint sprig sharply between your palms once. This releases the aromatic oils without bruising the leaves, creating a fragrant cloud that will greet every sip. Tuck the sprig into the ice beside your straw so it brushes against your nose as you drink. Add the lime wheel to the rim. Serve immediately. A mojito waits for no one.
Chef Tips
- •Cuban-style white rum is the traditional choice: Havana Club if you can find it, Bacardi Superior, Flor de Caña, or Caña Brava. Look for a clean, slightly sweet rum without heavy funk. Save the agricole for Ti' Punch.
- •Make your own simple syrup by dissolving equal parts sugar and water over low heat. It keeps refrigerated for a month and integrates far better than granulated sugar, which never fully dissolves in a cold drink.
- •For a crowd, batch the base: combine 2 cups rum, 1 cup lime juice, and 3/4 cup simple syrup. Refrigerate until serving. For each drink, muddle fresh mint in the glass, add 3.5 ounces of the base, fill with ice, and top with soda.
- •Grow your own spearmint if you have a sunny windowsill. The herb is nearly impossible to kill and a single plant provides enough leaves for a summer of cocktails.
Advance Preparation
- •Simple syrup can be made up to one month ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar.
- •Limes can be juiced up to 4 hours ahead and kept refrigerated. Fresh is always better, but a few hours won't hurt.
- •The batched rum-lime-syrup base holds refrigerated for up to 3 days. Do not add mint until serving.
- •Mint should always be added at the moment of preparation. It does not hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 200g)
Calories
205 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
80 mg
Total Carbohydrates
18 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
15 g
Protein
0 g
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