Historically speaking, this cool Cuban cocktail blends five magic ingredients in perfect balance to swoon us off our feet. The one who is yet to experience the magic of Mojito is surely missing out on a lot. The potent kick of rum fired by sugar syrup, sparkling water, lots of ice topped with fresh minty zing and sizzling lime is a massive energy pump if not just a refreshing blast!
There is slight confusion regarding its ancestry. Some say Sir Francis Drake came up with this while he plundered Havana for its gold while others choose to stick to its pure Cuban origin. The little funny tale about Mojito goes like this- there was an epidemic dysentery on Drake’s ships along with acute Scurvy. To treat the patients the natives suggested tropical herbs and medicines which were believed to ‘work like magic’. So Aguardiente de cana, translated as fire water from sugar cane, also an unfiltered form of rum was concocted with lime juice, sprinkled with green mint and served to the patients. As we can guess the consequence they were greatly relieved. Then on, the recipe flared up its popularity until it attained a legendary stature albeit with little alterations over the years. If the idea was conceived roughly around 1500s, during the seventeenth century the main ingredient was replaced with rum and boy! Its craze knew no bounds. Even today bars and restaurants worldwide have made this concocted delight mandatory. For its low alcohol content, it is relatively less threatening for your health and as for the freshness quotient, it is the best healer on any hot day.
The drink unfolds eventually in your mouth. The sweetness of cane syrup, the zesty tingly lime, chill of ice and fresh spearmint, an absolute pleasure trip for all your senses right from the first sip. Believe it or not, the wonder drink accelerates your digestion by degrees and if you grab a glass of Mojito to wash down a high protein diet, get ready to feel hungry in a couple of hours.
You feel fresh, you feel happy, you relish and cherish every sip and need not worry about digestion, need we say more of this magic potion? To get a quick glass of it at home, all you need is-
4 mint leaves
Lime juice (1 whole)
1 large tea spoon full powdered sugar
2 ounces of white rum
2 ounces of sparkling water/ club soda (soda would add the extra zing)
Crushed and cubed ice
Sprigs of fresh mint
To end our little note with a touch of nostalgia- Sir Ernest Hemingway was in love with this delightful jamboree. The bar La Bodeguita de Medio was made famous by him as he frequented it daily and ordered for his favorite Mojito. “ My Mojito in La Bodeguita” is found in the walls of this bar in Havana till date and in his very own hand-writing.
