Fun in a glass

The mojito is fortunate in that it always leaves us feeling revitalised and refreshed. Enjoyed at the poolside on sunshine days, it’s the ultimate summer cocktail. We love it for its simplicity, minty taste and the accompanying icy freshness.

Originating in Havana, the Mojito is Cuba’s most popular contribution to the global bar scene and often referred to as the “muddler’s elbow” the equivalent of a “tennis elbow” but for mixologists.

Brought into the limelight by, amongst others, American Novelist Ernest Hemingway during his time in Cuba, the mojito is considered by many to be one of the healthier cocktails around with a low-calorie count and other benefits.

It’s the balance between the sweetness, citrus, and herbaceous mint flavours, aimed at complementing the alcohol in the cocktail, which is another reason for the mojito’s popularity. But what alcohol is in a mojito?

What alcohol is in a Mojito?

A Mojito is one of the classic cocktails and is made with white rum, sugar, lime juice, mint leaves and soda which make them perfect for warm weather regions or seasons.

You can make a mojito with rum, or you can swap out the rum with vodka. Both are light spirits and work well with all the other base ingredients. It’s this kind of versatility that makes the mojito so popular amongst its regular consumers.

The variations and exotic combinations of liquors, spirits and ingredients has led to a number of different variations and combinations of alcohol; here are some of them:

• The Rose Mojito is a variation which contains a rose-flavoured spirit called Lanique. It was introduced in England.
• The Cojito adds coconut flavour by using coconut-flavoured rum.
• The South Side Mojito is made with gin instead of rum and the South Side Fizz Mojito adds seltzer water.
• A Dirty Mojito calls for gold rum instead of white rum and to use raw sugar or demerara sugar which gives the cocktail a caramel-like flavour.
• A Dark Mojito simply calls for a dark rum or equivalent spirit such as a brandy or cognac, to be used instead of white rum.
• In Mexico the Mojito Blanco replaces rum with tequila.
• In Peru a Mojito de Toronja adds fruits like grapefruit.
• The Strawberry Mojito includes muddled strawberries substituting gin for the light rum and lemon juice for lime juice with tonic.

Mojitos for non-drinkers

Mojitos come in all shapes, sizes, flavours and variations. But there is also the option of enjoying a non-alcoholic mojito, known as Virgin Mojito or Nojito.

These variations are made without alcohol, but they remain a good source of Vitamin C and effective immune boosters, limiting viral infections.

The combination of mint and lime juice also aids in promoting digestion which has always been the main goal of all cocktails which is why we enjoy them before a meal.

You can enjoy your mojito whichever way you want to. The creativity and varied combinations of ingredients and spirits makes this cocktail fun to drink, easy to make and a favourite at almost all social gatherings.

Tip: While the standard recipe for a Mojito calls for light rum, you can substitute it with 1st Principles Organic Vodka for a cocktail that is slightly less sweet.

Make your own Mojito by following our easy cocktail recipe.