World Rum Day - Let's talk Mojitos

I have returned from the distillery in Bdos just in time for World Rum Day, yippee. Just begun laying down our rum stock there. What a tale, from first rim distillers in the UK, to first Brit in to set up and distill rum in the birthplace of rum. That had me thinking about… Cuba… yes sorry about that. Well more precisely about the fantastic cocktail, the Mojito. Let’s take a gentle meander through its past as its great weather for sipping one!

It is an astonishing yet seldom-discussed fact that the Mojito (one of humanity’s most beloved cocktails) did not pop into existence, fully minted, at a fashionable Cuban bar. Much like life itself, the Mojito emerged through a clatter of accidental wonders, evolutionary tangents and enthusiastic cock-ups. If Darwin had spent a little less time with finches and more time in Cuban taverns, he might have written about mint sprigs and lime wedges instead.

The Mojito’s tale starts in the shadowy, wonderfully unruly history of 16th-century maritime adventures. Sailors, practical creatures with strong constitutions and questionable taste buds, concocted a primitive drink known as 'El Draque.' Named after Sir Francis Drake, who, depending on your perspective, was either a daring explorer or an infamous pirate (the distinction being chiefly one of branding), this mixed rum, lime, sugar and mint, serving primarily as a means to mask the taste of rum that had gone tits.

As time ticked pleasantly forward, largely unnoticed by Cuban bartenders, it gradually occurred to humanity that cocktails could be more than just palatable ways to swallow sub-par rum. By the early 20th century, Havana was a bustling haven of culinary delight, music and literature. Here the Mojito finally blossomed from its rough-and-ready pirate roots into a refined expression of cocktail perfection. Bartenders in Havana discovered that if you used rum that was actually good, fresh lime juice, sugar cane juice, mint gently bruised (not pulverized, an important distinction for those wishing to avoid resembling livestock chewing cud) and sparkling water (soda), something quite magical happened.

And magical it was, particularly to one notable quoff-er: Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway, renowned for writing books that somehow managed to make being sad and fishing simultaneously poetic, was partial to cocktails. His adventures across Cuba (mostly involving large fish, complex emotional entanglements and ever larger hangovers) made him a dedicated fan of local beverages, notably the Mojito, which he favored at Havana’s now-legendary watering hole, La Bodeguita del Medio.

But the Mojito does not stand in splendid isolation. It is part of a lush cocktail ecology, each species evolving to occupy its particular niche in the boozy ecosystem. Closely related, for example, is the Daiquiri (another Hemingway favorite). It evolved when bartenders realized that mint was not mandatory, thus freeing the cocktail for wider migratory patterns, from seedy taverns to sophisticated urban lounges.

Then there is the Caipirinha, the Brazilian cousin. Much like an exotic bird separated from its siblings by oceans of geography and circumstance, it substituted rum with cachaça, bringing forth a distinct but related lineage of citrusy delights. Each of these cocktails adapted, thrived and flourished in its own region, yet shared a common ancestor: the humble, resourceful attempt by sailors to make rum somewhat drinkable.

In modern times, the Mojito has diversified into a plethora of variants, some sensible, others frankly baffling: watermelon mojitos, blueberry mojitos and a host of fruity concoctions more colorful than a macaw convention. Yet at its heart remains the simple balance of sweet, sour, mint and rum, reminding us of its whimsical origins.

So next time you sip a Mojito, pause for a moment of quiet gratitude to pirates, bartenders, and Hemingway; a most unlikely triumvirate without whom you might just be sipping plain soda water, soberly wondering where it all went so terribly, terribly wrong.

With the saintly task of saving you from soda water, here’s a few mojito-ish things to try out using OSR and my Spiced Rum. Have a dabble!

two enticing recipes each for your Old Salt and Spiced Rums, beautifully embodying a classic Mojito and the robustly satisfying Dark 'n' Stormy.

Old Salt Rum Recipes

Old Salt Mojito

• 50 ml Old Salt Rum
  
  

• 25 ml fresh lime juice
  
  

• 2 teaspoons golden caster sugar
  
  

• A handful of fresh mint leaves
  
  

• Soda water
  
  

• Lime wedges and mint sprig for garnish
  
  

Method:

1. In a tall glass, muddle lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves gently (remember: livestock chewing cud imagery to be avoided!).
   
   

2. Fill the glass with ice, pour in Old Salt Rum, and top with soda water.
   
   

3. Stir briefly and garnish with fresh mint sprig and lime wedge.
   
   

Old Salt & Stormy

• 50 ml Old Salt Rum
  
  

• 100 ml fiery ginger beer
  
  

• 15 ml fresh lime juice
  
  

• Lime wedge for garnish
  
  

Method:

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
   
   

2. Add Old Salt Rum and lime juice, then gently top with ginger beer.
   
   

3. Stir delicately and garnish with a lime wedge.
   
   

Spiced Rum Recipes

Spiced Mojito

• 50 ml Spiced Rum
  
  

• 25 ml fresh lime juice
  
  

• 2 teaspoons demerara sugar
  
  

• Fresh mint leaves
  
  

• Soda water
  
  

• Cinnamon stick and mint sprig for garnish
  
  

Method:

1. Muddle lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves tenderly in a tall glass.
   
   

2. Add ice, pour over Spiced Rum, and top with soda water.
   
   

3. Stir briefly, garnish with mint and a cinnamon stick, adding a delightful spiced aroma.
   
   

Spiced Dark & Stormy

• 50 ml Spiced Rum
  
  

• 100 ml premium ginger beer
  
  

• Dash of Angostura bitters
  
  

• Orange slice and star anise for garnish
  
  

Method:

1. Fill a glass with ice, pour in Spiced Rum, and ginger beer.
   
   

2. Add a dash of bitters and stir gently.
   
   

3. Garnish with a juicy orange slice and star anise for added aromatic intrigue.