Mojitos - The Perfect Rum Drink

Ranked #23 in Food & Cooking, #291 overall

Aaahhh ~~ Mojitos!

I didn't discover mojito's until a few years ago, and I cannot believe it took me that long to find this incredible drink. I have long been a fan of rum over all other spirits, and this tropical delight fits so well into my beverage repertoire, that it's like it was invented just for me.

My first mojito wasn't in Key West as you would expect, but rather at a friend's party in Virginia. There were regular and mango mojito's and it was love at first sight for me. I now grow my own mint and am on the quest for the perfect muddler (I prefer the wooden ones, for the record). So, sit back and relax and see what other tidbits I have picked up about Ernest Hemingway's favorite drink.

Video Instructions To Make A Mojito

Mojito
by Johnndeerjordan | video info

133 ratings | 140,247 views
curated content from YouTube

Mojito Photos

Mojitos by dvanzuijlekom
Ok. Uno e poi vado... by Caste.
Mojito at Garcia's on The Miami River by miamism
21 de abril | Mojitos by Vibragiel
Coffee and Mojito by y entonces
 by Liv Clark
automatically generated by Flickr

Just What Is A Mojito?

Mojito As Defined By Wikipedia

A mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.

A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, carbonated water and mint. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear cocktail a popular summer drink. Many hotels in Havana also add Angostura bitters to cut the sweetness of the mojito; while a popular variation, it is not the original version created in La Bodeguita del Medio.

(...from Wikipedia)

 

The Original Recipe From La Bodeguita del Medio

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device pictured below, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda (you can also stir the club soda in as per your taste). Garnish with a mint sprig.

(...from Taste Of Cuba)

Tricks, Tips, & Variations

There are some things that you must have to make a mojito: rum, lime and mint flavor, sweetness, and ice. But, once you have made a mojito, you can try to get creative.

As for the rums - light rums work best for a standard mojito, they have a clear crisp flavor that is complemented by the lime and mint. There are also a number of flavored rums that are quite good in mojito's. You might really enjoy them in a flavored mojito as shown below in To Make Other Flavors:.

For the standard mojito, you can find a number of very good premade mojito mixes. I honestly would hesitate to tell you to order these over the internet simply because these bottles are heavy and your shipping costs would be high. Check out your local beverage store or supermarket. (Roses's makes a very tasty one.) These pre-made mixes are meant as a substitute for the lime and mint muddling and the simple syrup (or straight sugar). In my opinion, you cannot have a mojito without at the very least some lime wedges. Drop a wedge or two into your glass and muddle it before you add the mojito mix according to directions - you won't be sorry.

There is also some debate on whether simple syrup or sugar is better: I like them both equally well. The advantage to the sugar is when you pour it onto the lime and mint before muddling, it's natural abrasiveness adds something to the flavors. The advantage to the simple syrup is that you can make a quantity of it to have on hand and it is easy to store and measure to serve. (You can also infuse your simple syrup with a complimentary flavor or with mint if you so inclined.)

And, as for the mint: you won't believe the difference it makes to have fresh mint in your glass for this drink. In the summer months, I have two pots of it that I grow for use (mint is a very invasive plant, and if you put it into a bed, be very aware that it will spread and take over); in the winter, when I need to be reminded what summer is, I get some fresh in the herb section of the supermarket. Should you use spearmint or peppermint? I have found that both are equally good in mojitos.

Basic Bar Sets To Make Your Own

Mojito Sets

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Bacardi Mojito Commercial

It's A Great Commercial

Bacardi Mojito Ad
by pgajria | video info

2,928 ratings | 2,685,331 views
curated content from YouTube

The Bacardi Mojito Recipe

An easy mojito cocktail recipe to liven up your evening:

1.5 oz BACARDI Rum
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
7 oz club soda
2 tbsp. simple syrup (or 4 tsp. sugar)

For the smoothest mojitos, gently crush mint leaves and lightly squeeze lime in a cool tall glass. Pour sweet syrup on top to cover and fill glass with ice. Add Bacardi Rum, club soda, and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint.

(...from BacardiMojito.com)

Bacardi's Mojito Recipe On Video

bacardi mojito
by tojobaskan | video info

325 ratings | 585,000 views
curated content from YouTube

Rum Drinks & Havanas

Rum Drinks and Havanas: Cuba Classics

Amazon Price: $28.82 (as of 06/02/2012)Buy Now
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Used Price: $0.01

Rum Drinks & Havanas depicts the legendary Cuban bars and delicious daiquiris and mojitos that were created in them. Not only does it share the differences between various brands of rum, how rum is made, and the affects of aging, but it details recipes for over thirty traditional and inimitable drinks.

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Mojito Caipi Original Song - The Muddle

The Song From The Bacardi Commercials - Long Version

Bacardi Mojito Caipi original song - The Muddle
by loucosdaESAG | video info

783 ratings | 726,915 views
curated content from YouTube

Mango Mojito Recipe

Ingredients:
15 to 20 Mint Leaves
3/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz. Simple Syrup
3 oz. Matusalem Platino Rum
1/2 oz. Mango Purée
2 1/2 oz. Club Soda

Preparation:
In a mixing glass, muddle mint leaves, lime juice and sugar vigorously. Add ice, rum, mango purée, syrup and soda, stir thoroughly and pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

To Make Other Flavors:

As you can see from the pictures below, there are other tasty flavor variations possible for a mojito also. To achieve these, swap out your desired fruit (purée form or flavoring) for the mango in the above recipe. You can also add a chunk or two of the whole fruit to the lime and mint when you muddle them. This is what was done with the strawberry and the pineapple mojito's, which is why they are cloudier and have a different color.

Which Mojito Do You Prefer?

Which is better: traditional mojito, or a flavored mojito?

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Traditional is the ONLY way to go!

icansurpriseu says:

looks like a wonderful drink have to taste it once...

fish-oil-expert says:

I love mojitos traditional.

CLH says:

Traditional, the mint and lime just has an amazing twist on my taste buds!

bookmarkme says:

great lens, love traditional !!

ScottiesRock says:

Traditional is classic... However some of the flavors really rock too!

I love the flavors best (tell us your favorite flavor).

Bobby says:

Flavored mojito

Carreira says:

I only like them with melon or strawberries

LubosLabik says:

I like flavoured mojito

tyrosine says:

I love them with strawberries

Steph_Tietjen says:

I haven't had one, but the mango one looks delicious. I'd try the traditional one too. A new use for my mint.

 
view all 81 comments

You Really Do Need A Muddler

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A Cool Way To Mix Authors & Alcohol

Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Writers

Amazon Price: $1.69 (as of 06/02/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $15.95

In this entertaining homage to the golden age of the cocktail, illustrator Edward Hemingway and writer Mark Bailey present the best (and thirstiest) American writers, their favorite cocktails, true stories of their saucy escapades, and intoxicating excerpts from their literary works. It's the perfect blend of classic cocktail recipes, literary history, and tales of the good old days of extravagant Martini lunches and delicious excess.

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Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 - July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. He was part of the 1920s expatriate community in Paris, as well as the veterans of World War One later known as "the Lost Generation", as described in his posthumous memoir A Moveable Feast. ("'That's what you are. That's what you all are,' Miss Stein said. 'All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.'" Stein had overheard a garage owner use the phrase to criticize a mechanic.) He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea, and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

(...from Wikipedia)

Mojito Guest Book

Thanks for visiting my Mojito page. I hope you've enjoyed what I have here and maybe learned a few new tricks. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions, or if you have any questions, leave them for me here.

But, please, leave no links, they won't be activated.

  • vinodkpillai May 24, 2012 @ 11:33 am | delete
    Thanks for an informative and inspirational hub that introduced me to the world of mojito - the videos were awesome!
  • MarysSerendipity Apr 28, 2012 @ 3:47 pm | delete
    Great ideas!
  • fish-oil-expert Apr 21, 2012 @ 6:52 pm | delete
    How come Ernest Hemingway is here? :)
  • white-knight Apr 20, 2012 @ 3:19 pm | delete
    Thanks I love mojitos!
  • richi1973 Apr 20, 2012 @ 3:16 pm | delete
    I love Mojito - it is the perfect summer - drink! Great lens!
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