Mojito

Mojito
IBA official cocktail
TypeCocktail
Base spirit
ServedOn the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnishsprigs of mint or slice of lime
Standard drinkware
Collins glass
IBA specified
ingredients†
PreparationMix mint sprigs with sugar and lime juice. Add splash of soda water and fill the glass with ice. Pour the rum and top with soda water. Light stir to involve all ingredients.
Mojito recipe at International Bartenders Association

Mojito (/mˈht/; Spanish: [moˈxito]) is a traditional Cuban punch. The cocktail often consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, soda water, and mint.[1][2] Its combination of sweetness, citrus, and herbaceous mint flavors is intended to complement the rum, and has made the mojito a popular summer drink.[3][4]

When preparing a mojito, fresh lime juice is added to sugar (or to simple syrup) and mint leaves. The mixture is then gently mashed with a muddler. The mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils and should not be shredded.[5] Then rum is added and the mixture is briefly stirred to dissolve the sugar and to lift the mint leaves up from the bottom for better presentation. Finally, the drink is topped with crushed ice and sparkling soda water. Mint sprigs or lime wedges are used to garnish the glass.

In Cuba, the mint used to make mojito is most commonly Mentha × villosa (called yerba buena or hierbabuena in Cuba) which has a light minty-citrus aroma, but outside of Cuba spearmint, which has a stronger mint aroma, is often used.[6]

  1. ^ "Traditional Mojito recipe from Cuba". Tasteofcuba.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  2. ^ Colleen Graham; About.com Guide (11 June 2011). "About.com Mojito". Cocktails. about.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Summer Cocktail News: Mojitos Go Fruity". Prweb.com. 4 June 2008. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. ^ Fernandez, Maria Elena (12 August 2001). "Shake It Up, Baby: Cuban Cocktail Is Making a Splash". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  5. ^ Fumi. "How to Muddle a Mojito". Wasabibratwurst.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Mojito" Cookmundo.com Archived 2 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine(accessed Nov. 29, 2022)