When a couple of years ago I told a Cuban friend how mojitos were made here in Spain, he made the same face that I must make when someone tells me that they put peas or chorizo in paella. So I took him by the side and asked him to explain how to make the authentic (and refreshing) cuban mojitoto give more variety to our aperitif cocktails such as the Aperol spritz, another classic.
In this case, the difference is not so much in the ingredients, but in the way of preparing the mojito. It changes the order, and also some crucial details, as you will see if you continue reading, although everything is summarized in the video that we includeand that is about my words.
We’ll start with the basic procedure, although later I will make a few annotations later, already for note. The first thing is to add about two teaspoons of sugar in a tall and slightly wide glass (although it is also worth a tube), add half a chopped lime to the sugar, and squeeze it with the help of a mortar.
On top of the sugar we add a siphon shot, more or less double the amount of rum that we are going to put (in the video you can clearly see it), and that is when add the mint, which we crush, but without chopping it, simply to release its aroma. Then we add the white rum, and finally the ice. Remove, place the corresponding straw, decorate with a sprig of mint and that’s it.
Curiosities and details of the authentic Cuban mojito
The quintessential rum used in mojitos is Havana Club 3, although Bacardi has always defended that it was his that was originally used. My source says that it doesn’t really matter, they’re both perfectly adequate dry white rums.
always white sugarcane, although we must bear in mind that Cuban sugar is less refined than ours.
Adding siphon is actually optional. He told me that a well-made mojito does not have siphon or sparkling water, and that in addition, in bars they used to prepare the mojito well in advance (the day before or in the morning) to let the rum macerate with the mint and lime , and then you just had to add ice when serving. If the prepared glasses were finished, the mojito was finished.
The ice used is in cubesbecause the Caribbean heat would make the crushed ice melt too quickly, watering down the drink.
The most famous mojito is La Bodeguita del Medio de La Habanaon whose walls Hemingway wrote: My mojito in La Bodeguita, My Daiquiri in El Floridita. There they prepare it just as I have described, although there are also others who have fervently assured me that the one there is an adapted version to be served quickly and that it should be served like this:
- lime juice
- tablespoon and a half of sugar
- Two sprigs of mint, crushed (not crushed)
- 3 ice cubes
- 4.5 cl White Rum, fill with sparkling water and stir around the edges
- Optionally, a note of Angostura
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With what to accompany the authentic Cuban mojito
The authentic cuban mojito It is a sweet, pleasant and very refreshing drink thanks to the touch of citrus and the aroma of mint, ideal for when it’s hot and you don’t fancy drinks that are too strong. However, since it contains sugar and is so easy to drink, it is quite stubborn, so it should be enjoyed in moderation.
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