When we visited Cuba I sipped a lot of Mojitos. It was my preferred means of hydration while there. And this was in spite of the fact, for better or worse, that I really can’t drink too much. A big glass of wine, and that will do it. But the Mojitos, I just loved them. I loved to watch them make them in Cuba and have made them myself. I’m all into macerating the mint leaves.
I made Mojitos for the first time in a cooking class that I took with six other travelers. We worked at a long table in the dining room of a colonial home turned into a bed and breakfast. The recipe in this post is taken from the pamphlet of all the dishes we made and shared that day.
Notice that among the ingredients listed in the recipe is not just rum, but Havana Club Rum. When you buy Havana Club Rum in the U.S. you will be buying rum made in Puerto Rico. No wonder there were so many returning visitors in customs buying rum made in Cuban. And why didn’t I think ahead.
Mojitos
Ingredients
- Fresh Mint
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 ice cubes
- Havana Club Rum
- Sparkling water
Instructions
- Place mint branches in a glass. Add one teaspoon of white sugar and juice from one half lime. Macerate slowly mixing the ingredients trying to get the juice from the stem. Ad one line of Havana Club Rum and 3 ice cubes. Then add the same amount of sparking water. If you prefer the drink sweet use half sparkling and half Seven Up or Sprite. To finish, gently shake from the bottom up the lime juice and the sugar. Decorate with a slice of lime and a branch of mint.
Note: Mint grows like a weed and I love having it around in the summer.
