What is mojito – the composition and history of occurrence, step-by-step recipes for cooking at home

The content of the article

• Composition
• History of the drink
• Mojito recipe at home
• Classic cocktail with white rum
• Non-alcoholic mojito
• With vodka
• Strawberry mojito
• Sprite Cocktail Recipe
• With martini
• Cuban mojito
• With champagne
• Alcoholic cocktail with gin
• Secrets of making mojito at home – professional tips

The regulars of nightclubs, noisy parties know that mojito is one of the classic cocktails, which are based on mint, soda, lime and sugar. In the alcohol version there is still light rum. This drink contains a lot of ice, so it is drunk for a long time and belongs to the category of long drink. Mojito has a huge number of fans around the world and is very easy to prepare at home..

Composition

Mojito’s traditional ingredients are lime juice, cane sugar, peppermint and light rum. Crushed ice is also added for a refreshing effect, and soda fills the drink with gases, dilutes and complements the taste of the remaining ingredients. Recently, soda has often been replaced with Sprite or Schweppes. It is important to add all the components in a certain sequence, and serve a cocktail in a high glass of highball with a sprig of mint, lime mugs and a cocktail tube.

History of the drink

According to history, a single version of the appearance of the cocktail does not exist. According to one of them, this name came from the Spanish word mojo. So the inhabitants of Cuba call the eponymous sauce of garlic, lemon juice, oil, herbs, pepper and other components. Another says that Mojito is derived from Mojadito, which means “slightly moist” and fully characterizes the drink itself.

The third version of the origin of the cocktail relates to the times of the atrocities of the pirate Francis Drake (XVII century). The sailor suggested using rum during long voyages instead of quickly deteriorating fresh water. The strength and not always good taste of alcohol made it difficult to drink it frequently, so they began to dilute it with citrus juice, add mint leaves, which still helped prevent colds.

The fourth legend (considered the most truthful) speaks of the appearance of mojito in one of the bars of the Cuban capital Havana in 1942. There I first tried the drink and forever fell in love with Ernest Hemingway. Although there is evidence of the existence of a drink recipe dated 1931. The peak of the popularity of a long drink falls on the 80s in the USA, and later it began to be included in the lists of classic cocktails of the International Barmen Association.

Mojito recipe at home

Most lovers of alcoholic and low alcohol drinks prefer the classic version. Nevertheless, there are many other recipes that differ in strength, taste and aroma, due to the presence of different alcoholic components (or their absence) and other components. Mojito cocktails have their own cooking technology, which is easy to reproduce at home, and the non-alcoholic version can be offered to children..

Classic cocktail with white rum

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 65 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Cuban.
• Difficulty: Easy.

When studying recipes for a refreshing drink, you first need to find out what a classic mojito is. This popular cocktail can be found and ordered in any bar, night club. To make it at home, it is not necessary to have special bartender skills, you need to take the necessary components and add them in a certain sequence and proportion. According to the recipe, Cuban Bacardi rum should be poured into the classic mojito, but you can use any other light rum alcohol, which has a lower strength compared to its dark “counterparts”.

Ingredients:

• white rum – 50 ml;
• lime – 0.5 pcs.;
• mint – 5-6 branches;
• sugar (brown) – 2 tsp;
• soda – 150 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare (wash and dry) a tall glass in which you will prepare a lime-mint drink.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the bottom (it will give an amazing caramel flavor).
3. Tear off mint leaves, rinse, remember a little with your hands, throw to sugar.
4. Pound the components with a special wooden nudge (madeler) or another kitchen tool.
5. Squeeze juice from half of lime, strain, add to sugar-mint mass. Rub everything again so that the sugar is dissolved.
6. Fill the remaining space to the top with crushed ice.
7. Pour in rum, cover with a half of a shaker (or a glass of a larger diameter), gently shake. Condensation will appear on the walls of the container, and pieces of mint will be distributed throughout the drink..
8. Add soda to the brim, garnish with a sprig of mint, insert a wide straw.

Non-alcoholic mojito

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 2 Persons.
• Calorie content: 27 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Mojito is the perfect way to quench your thirst in summer. In addition, a non-alcoholic aromatic cocktail can be given to children. It can be made and served for a children’s birthday and any other holiday, and it is also allowed to use it while driving. Instead of a soda cocktail, it is complemented by Sprite, which is loved by children and many adults. Try!

Ingredients:

• lime – 1 pc.;
• mint – 10 leaves;
• ice (crushed) – 1 cup;
• sprite – 1.5 st.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the citrus fruit into slices. Leave one for decoration, put the rest into glasses.
2. Add the mint leaves, pour in the sprite, shove the madler.
3. Pour ice, garnish with mint, lime slice.

With vodka

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 90 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Mojito recipe with the addition of vodka is relevant for Russia, rum is often replaced with such alcohol, since the price of the latter is much higher. Admirers of this version of the cocktail claim that only true fans of Cuban rum can distinguish one alcoholic drink from another. The citrus component is also often replaced with lemon juice, but the result will be very different from the original recipe..

Ingredients:

• vodka – 60 ml;
• mint – 6 leaves;
• lime – 0.5 pcs.;
• granulated sugar – 2 tsp;
• ice – 5 cubes;
• soda.

Cooking method:

1. Take a tall glass, add sugar, pour squeezed lime juice and vodka.
2. Stir until sugar crystals are completely dissolved..
3. Add mint leaves, ice, pour soda to the brim. Decorate, insert a straw.

Strawberry mojito

• Time: 15-20 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 2 Persons.
• Calorie content: 75 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Cuban.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Different fruits and berries are often added to the standard set of components, which fill the drink with amazing aromatic and flavoring notes. One of the most sought after is a strawberry smoothie with the addition of fresh berries, syrup and honey as a sweetener. Cocktail has not only a wonderful taste, but also a beautiful red-pink color.

Ingredients:

• strawberries – 8 pcs.;
• mint – 25 g;
• lime – 1 pc.;
• Sprite (Schweppes) – 300 ml;
• strawberry syrup (mint) – 15 ml;
• honey – 25 g;
• white rum – 80 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Blend strawberries with honey.
2. Remember the mint leaves in the glass, squeeze the juice from the citrus fruit, chop the pulp from? fruit, add to mint.
3. Mix rum with ice with a shaker, transfer to other ingredients.
4. Pour in soda syrup, gently stir with a spoon.
5. Garnish with strawberry, mint sprig.

Sprite Cocktail Recipe

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 80 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Russian bartenders often supplement a cocktail with a sprite, so soda is not uncommon in cocktail recipes. Moreover, in its alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. Due to the sugar content in soda, it is not necessary to sweeten home-made mojito. If you remove the alcohol component from the recipe, then you can offer a drink to children, pregnant women, drivers.

Ingredients:

• vodka – 60 ml;
• mint – 5 leaves;
• lime – 0.5 pcs.;
• ice, Sprite.

Cooking method:

1. Put slightly wrinkled mint leaves in a glass.
2. Pour squeezed lime juice, vodka.
3. Crush and throw ice, add soda to the edges of the glass.

With martini

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 96 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

The mojito recipe has undergone such changes that instead of Cuban rum it began to contain not only vodka, but even gin, champagne and martini. Each type of alcohol changes the taste of a cocktail. Such combination options began to appear when, when necessary, to make a drink, Cuban alcohol was not at home or there was simply not enough money for it.

Ingredients:

• lime – 0.5 pcs.;
• mint – 12 leaves;
• sugar – 1.5 tsp;
• martini, Sprite – 0.5 glasses each;
• ice.

Cooking method:

1. Mint leaves with hands, toss into a glass, pour in granulated sugar.
2. Cut 2 slices of lime, toss to the mint-sugar mixture. Pour juice squeezed from the rest of the citrus.
3. Crush madler so that the ingredients let the juice.
4. Add ice, pour Sprite, martini. Garnish with mint leaves, citrus slices.

Cuban mojito

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 101 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Cuban.
• Difficulty: Easy.

This type of cocktail is called “Cuban” due to the fact that the original recipe has been sustained. That is, rum, lime, soda are not replaced by ordinary vodka, lemon and sprite. Sugar is also used cane, with a light caramel flavor, and not the usual white for us. Having withstood the specified proportions and sequence of actions, you can feel like a regular in this Cuban bar.

Ingredients:

• the juice ? lime
• Cuban rum white – 45 ml;
• cane sugar – 2 tsp;
• mint – 2 branches;
• ice – 6 cubes;
• soda (sparkling water) – 90 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Take highball or collins (tall glass). Pour sugar, squeeze lime juice, add mint leaves.
2. Pour soda. Stir the liquid with a spoon, slightly rubbing mint.
3. Add white rum, ice cubes.

With champagne

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 152 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: International.
• Difficulty: Easy.

There is an option with most women love sparkling wine. Nevertheless, it is difficult to call it a light female drink, since the strength of the drink is enhanced by the addition of rum. It is very easy to prepare a cocktail; it is quite possible to reproduce the procedure at home without any special bartending abilities. The taste of mojito with champagne is slightly different from the previous options, the gases of sparkling wine replace soda.

Ingredients:

• dry champagne – 60 ml;
• rum – 45 ml;
• mint – 1 handful;
• lime juice – 15 ml;
• fine granulated sugar – 1.5 tsp;
• ice.

Cooking method:

1. Take a shaker, put mint leaves, granulated sugar, pour in citrus juice, rum.
2. Close the lid, shake for about 0.5 minutes.
3. Pour into a champagne glass, fill the remaining space with sparkling wine. Garnish with mint leaves on top.

Alcoholic cocktail with gin

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 Person.
• Calorie content: 84 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: International.
• Difficulty: Easy.

This type of alcohol like gin has a tart flavor, a harsh smell. However, it is often used for making mojito and at home too. Other components dilute and complement the aromatic and flavoring notes of gin, making the drink much more interesting during the tasting. If you have a little of this alcohol left in the refrigerator, prepare for yourself and your friends a delicious mojito.

Ingredients:

• lime (lemon) – 1 pc.;
• sugar – 2 tsp;
• mint – 1 bunch;
• sparkling water – 120 ml;
• gin – 60 ml;
• ice – 6 cubes.

Cooking method:

1. Cut citrus into thin slices.
2. Tear mint leaves with your hands.
3. Pour the gin. Remember the components with a special pusher.
4. Add crushed ice, add soda to the edges of the glass.

Secrets of making mojito at home – professional tips

The technology for preparing a delicious mint-lime drink is not complicated; it can be made at home. The main thing is to take into account the recommendations of professionals and follow these tips:

1. Use only mint leaves, the stems will add an unpleasant herbal flavor.
2. It is better not to crush mint much, not to crush, but just to mash, otherwise small pieces will clog the tube.
3. Lime slices should not be crushed, it is better to pour citrus juice, otherwise the drink will get bitterness from the pulp.
4. Replacing soda with sprite or tonic, reduce the amount of sugar declared in the recipe.
5. When increasing the amount of ingredients, be careful to keep proportions.
6. To prevent sugar crystals from coming across Mojito tasting, replace it with sweet sugar syrup.