Mojito
As learned in the bars of La Habana. Differs somewhat from some of the horrors being served in London's trendier bars right now.
Ingredients:
Lemons
Ice (lots of it)
Sugar syrup or plain white sugar
Sprigs of mint
A good clear rum (Havan Club is good, Bacardi is horrible)
Sparkling mineral water
Long glasses
Squeeze half a lemon into a glass and add sugar (syrup) until your cheeks no longer pucker up like Abe Simpson when he has lost his false teeth. Mix this in until the sugar has disolved. Now crush, with a pestle if you have one, a sprig of fresh mint into the sugary lemon juice. Add the ice to about the two thirds mark on the glass. Pour a generous slug of rum in there. Top the last inch off with fizzy water and add a couple of leaves to float on top. Serve with a stirring device. Ideally this will have a small figurine of a hula dancer at the top of it.
Note: crushed ice is good but if making for a number of people by the time you have sorted out a round, the ice has turned to water:-(
Mojito dont's: don't use brown sugar and don't serve it if the sugar has not dissolved. This is horrible and an insult to Ché's memory. Hemingway's ghost will punish you for this if there is any justice in this world.
- Damian
April 27, 2004 in Cocktails | Permalink
Comments
BTW: limes are fine. You can even use oranges and a touch of runny honey if you feel like experimenting.
Posted by: damian | 27 Apr 2004 13:24:18
This is a great recipe and btw my blog is back up.
Posted by: Paolo | 13 May 2004 00:19:32
Comments on Mojitos:
The herb used is Yerbabuena, which is spearmint, not regular mint. If honey or oranges are used, then its not a true mojito.
I feel quite insulted by the comment made below.
To begin with, Mojitos were a tradition way before the revolution and secondly, Che was not a Cuban.
Please, get your history and facts straight.
Mojito donts: don't use brown sugar and don't serve it if the sugar has not dissolved. This is horrible and an insult to Che's memory. Hemingway's ghost will punish you for this if there is any justice in this world.
Posted by Damian at April 27, 2004 12:27 PM
Posted by: Sonia | 11 Jun 2004 18:30:01
thanks for the note on yerbabuena. as for che, he may well have been argentinian but he certainly drank mojitos in la habana and as you know he is rather commonly associated with cuba - especially in cuba itself. perhaps it was a flip coment but no offence was meant.
the use of orange and honey was shown to me in viñales in pinar del rio but i wouldn't say it is a mojito, only that it can make a nice drink based on the mojito.
Posted by: Damian | 11 Jun 2004 18:41:45
I don't think I need to chill when I make a valid comment. Che might be thoroughly associated with Cuba and it's revolution, and might have drank a million mojitos, but my point was that it is not he (or even Papa Hemingway, as much as he was well acquainted with Cuba and it's rum) who would/should be insulted by making mojitos in an untraditional manner.
I say, call a truce and let's not discuss politics in a food forum, as that is always a big mistake. I apologize if my comment was high-handed but I can't help a knee-jerk reaction to comments made about Cuba.
Posted by: Sonia | 20 Jun 2004 17:43:34
done. let's call it peace on foodster.
Posted by: Damian | 20 Jun 2004 19:21:26
I have read other recipes that suggest adding "bitters," "Angostura bitters," to be exact. What do you think of this???
Posted by: Alfredo | 4 Aug 2005 15:41:30
I have never seen it but please report back!
Posted by: damian rafferty | 4 Aug 2005 17:51:46
Bitters (Angostura, for example) will really bind all the ingredients in the mojito together. Also, if you can find it, try sugar cane juice instead of sugar. It will elevate your mojito to new levels.
Posted by: dagny | 9 Apr 2006 18:33:43
Wait one damn minute...You guys get back in the ring, right this minute. Every half-ass idiot out there knows how to make a mojito, but not everyone can provide this kind of candid cyber-tough guy entertainment. We already lost Celebrity Death Match, I will not let you guys go as easily. Ding ding, round 2. Go!
Posted by: Uncle Sam | 25 May 2006 20:29:31
Does anyone know how to make a mojito martini?
Posted by: soma | 27 May 2006 19:46:27
I love Mojitos, the Cheese Cake Factory makes a good one. Now Chili's actually just started making a good one. I like the Idea of using Honey, thats how I found this site. I was seeing if a recipe was out there. Low cal.... Hone calories are burned by the body 40% faster than sugar. So I was wanting to try it as I am on a diet...Lol.
Posted by: apfire8 | 21 Nov 2007 00:40:38
