Cuban Mojito recipe – How to Make an Authentic Cuba Cocktail

The original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba

There are countless recipes for the Mojito (pronounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito’s place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. If you are throwing a Cuban theme party, plan on serving mojitos.

• Prep Time: 8 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 8 minutes

Mojito Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
• 4 mint leaves
• 1 sprig of mint
• Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
• 2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a “collins” glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You’ll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime.

Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device pictured below, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn’t available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda (you can also stir the club soda in as per your taste). Garnish with a mint sprig. Serves 1.

Optional Variations:

While the following isn’t the authentic original Bodeguita del Medio Cuban recipe for a mojito, some people will take half of the juiced lime and cut into into four wedges to add to the glass.

Another variation is to add Angostura bitters to cut the mojito’s sweetness, which is a popular version in Havana hotels although not the true Bodeguita recipe.

Some Cubans also use “guarapo” in place of powdered sugar. Guarapo is sugar cane syrup available in the Latin food area of some supermarkets, some Latin grocery stores, and most internet Hispanic stores (typically sold in 12 ounce cans just like soft drinks).