BozinSeK --Raritys, Oddities, and other things that make you go Hmmmmmmm

Here's a little primer on the art of making the Cuban National Drink..The Mojito (Mo-Hee-Toe). These are a super smooth and refreshing summertime drink, but be forewarned, these suckers go down so incredibly easy, they tend to turn even a seasoned drinker into a blabbering, lovey-dovey table dancer. At the Bar we grow our own fresh mint out on the patio in two half whiskey barrels. The freshly harvested mint makes a nice touch. Here's what the good folks at mojito.com have to say.....

First a little history...
You probably haven't had many history lessons that started with pillaging the Caribbean and ended with a delicious cocktail. But that's one of the things that makes the mojito so unique. The mojito may have a trendy reputation outside of Cuba; however, its origins are anything but chic. Amidst the stories floating about, we have unveiled the facts, discarded blatant lies, sifted through half-truths, and concluded that the drink now known as the mojito probably originated in Havana sometime in the late 19th century and gained popularity beginning in the 1930s.

Enter the pirates…

A mojito-like beverage may have existed much earlier, perhaps as far back as the late 1500s. Legend has it that Richard Drake, an English pirate, concocted a beverage similar to the mojito by mixing aguardiente (an unrefined rum), sugar, lime, and mint. He coined the drink "El Draque" (meaning "the dragon") after the nickname of his head honcho, Sir Francis Drake, who made a career of terrorizing South America and the Caribbean. Drake used Cuba as a base island, which is seemingly how the drink arrived there. The Draque cocktail can also be found in some other Latin American countries, including Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela - likely a tribute to Drake's plundering of those countries.
A mojito-like beverage may have existed much earlier, perhaps as far back as the late 1500s. Legend has it that Richard Drake, an English pirate, concocted a beverage similar to the mojito by mixing aguardiente (an unrefined rum), sugar, lime, and mint. He coined the drink "El Draque" (meaning "the dragon") after the nickname of his head honcho, Sir Francis Drake, who made a career of terrorizing South America and the Caribbean. Drake used Cuba as a base island, which is seemingly how the drink arrived there. The Draque cocktail can also be found in some other Latin American countries, including Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela - likely a tribute to Drake's plundering of those countries.

The Great Debate...
Some historians suggest that slaves working in Cuban sugar cane fields in the late 19th century invented the mojito. In fact, this story seems to be related to or, more likely, confused with the origin of the daiquiri, the popular Cuban cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and sugar.

Nevertheless, African slaves may have played some part in the mojito's history: the slaves seemingly contributed to naming guarapo (sugar cane juice), the sweet nectar that is so vital to the taste of the mojito. African slaves working in Cuban sugar cane fields longed for a drink from their homeland, made from corn and yucca. As a substitute, they crushed sugar cane stalks, releasing and drinking the sweet liquid. The Spanish referred to this juice as jarabe, meaning "nectar" or "syrup." The Africans, not knowing Spanish, understood this word as "garapa." Thinking that the slaves were saying "guarapo," the Cubans created this Spanish word for sugar cane juice.

Since the daiquiri consists of rum, lime juice, sugar and shaved ice, some suggest that the mojito simply evolved from the daiquiri. Some of the bars popular in Havana at the time of the Cuban dawn of the mojito were La Floridita (most famous for the daiquiri), Sloppy Joe's, and Hotel Sevilla. The bars that served the daiquiri eventually offered the mojito. Although the ingredients are similar, the preparation of the mojito (what makes it so special) is very different from the daiquiri.

Timeless...

The earliest "mojito" recipes we have found are from 1931 and 1936 editions of a Sloppy Joe's Bar Manual. Cuban story-teller Federico Villoch also mentioned a recipe for the mojito in a 1940 book. Angel Martinez opened La Bodeguita del Medio in 1942 as a general store and later converted it into a restaurant and bar in 1946, where the mojito is claimed to have gained popularity in Havana. Frequenting the bar were students, musicians, and soon-to-be celebrities, including Ernest Hemingway, Bridget Bardot, and Nat King Cole. The bar is now a popular tourist stop in Havana.

Just 90 miles from Cuba, Key West eventually embraced the mojito. Due to their geographic proximity, there was a history of people traveling between Cuba and Key West - the rise of the Cuban cigar industry in the late 19th century in Key West and the transportation of beer and rum from Cuba during Prohibition. Perhaps Ernest Hemingway, a supposed mojito drinker, was partly responsible for introducing the drink to Key West, as he moved to Key West in 1928 and was known to have spent a great deal of time between Cuba and Key West in the 1930s. Sloppy Joe's opened its Key West location in 1933, about the time mojitos were probably first being served. Interestingly, Hemingway was a friend and fishing buddy of Joe Russell, the owner of Sloppy Joe's.

The Equipment...






The Muddler. My first muddler consisted of the handle hacked from a large wooden kitchen spoon. I have since graduated to a 12 inch professional model but I still have that old spoon handle. Sometimes perfection finds itself in the simplest solutions.











The Collins Glass. I use a 10.5 oz collins glass. I've tried a 16 oz, but wasn't happy with the final result.










The Jigger. Don't even think about trying a pour count when making one of these drinks. 1.5 oz of Quality Light Rum is essential. We use Bacardi Light Rum in the Bar.

The Recipe...


10-15 Mint leaves
1/2 a lime
3/4 oz simple syrup (1 cup of sugar mixed with 1 cup of
water and heat on stove until sugar is dissolved)
1 1/2 oz Silver rum
Club soda (1 1/2 oz)

In a mixing glass add mint, lime and simple syrup. With your Muddler in hand, press down with force while using a twisting motion. This releases the essential oils in the mint and lime. Add ice, rum, club soda and stir well.


Cheers! You've just made your first Mojito! Old Man Hemingway would be so proud of you!