Classic: In defence of the Mojito

mojito

Story by Sam Bygrave.
In association with Bacardi.

Yes, the whole process of making a Mojito can be taxing when faced with a busy bar, and yes, there are drinks out there which are more challenging and adventurous.

But you’d be hard pressed to beat a Mojito for deliciousness.

It’s probably the most famous drink to come out of Cuba, more famous than its cousin, the Daiquiri. Rum, lime, sugar and mint, served long, it’s a handy vehicle for delivering refreshment.

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Its origins are murky, with some people insisting it’s the descendant of a drink called El Draque, named for Francis Drake, the Englishman who was tasked with beseiging the ships of Spain in the 1500’s around the Caribbean. That concoction was a mix of the local aguardiente, the unrefined proto-rum, taken with lime, sugar and mint.

Another story goes that the drink was originally the drink of Cuban field workers. They’d take the aguardiente and supplement it with the ingredients they had to hand: again, lime, mint, and sugar cane juice.

The drink was popularised in the USA thanks to the community of Cuban-Americans in Miami, and when, in the late 1990’s, there was a turn to more ingredient-focused drinks, the Mojito spread throughout the world like wildfire.

And for good reason, too — it’s a fine, delicious way to drink your rum.

The Mojito

  • 60ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
  • 30ml lime juice
  • 15ml sugar syrup
  • 8-10 mint leaves
  • soda water to top

Add mint, rum, lime and sugar in a highball. Fill halfway with crushed ice, and mix ingredients together thoroughly. Fill with crushed ice, mix again, then top with soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

bacardi-carta-blanca-mojito
Bacardi Carta Blanca
With a history dating back to 1862, the Bacardi recipe has been around a long time. This rum offers distinctive vanilla and almond notes, developed in white oak barrels and shaped through a secret blend of charcoal for a distinctive smoothness.
Bacardi-Martini

The Banter
• Key to the distinctive identity of Bacardi Carta Blanca is the special, proprietary yeast strain they employ, called La Levadura.
• The two central distillates that go into Bacardi rums are the aguardiente, and the redistillado, and these create the characteristic taste.
• Don Facundo Bacardi, the brand’s founder, was a pioneer in the purposeful ageing of rum, and in the use of charcoal filtration.

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