The history of the Mojito cocktail
The history of the mojito dates back to the 16th century and is often associated with Sir Francis Drake, the first European navigator to discover the Cuban island. The latter is said to have been the first to use lime, sugar and mint to improve the unpleasant taste of the aguardiente de caña ( burning water) that was processed at the time. This cocktail called El Draque, is commonly considered the predecessor of the Mojito.
It was not until the 19th century that Cuban rum* became widely available and replaced the aguardiente used until then, giving the cocktail a much more pleasant taste.
How the long drink got its name is also the basis of various speculations. Thus, some suggest that the name Mojito derives from the Spanish word mojar , which can be translated as wet or moist . While the Adneren suspect that the name comes from the Afro-Cuban word mojo (engl. enchanted) – an allusion to its refreshing and intoxicating effect.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the mojito finally gained international popularity, mainly due to the influence of personalities such as Ernest Hemingway, who always enjoyed the drink at the Bodeguita del Medio in Havana. Since then, the Mojito has become one of the most famous and popular long drinks in the world.