Cuban Mojitos

Last Updated July 31st, 2020 at 08:00 pm by Lisa

Straight from my trip to Cuba, this Mojito is 100% an authentic Cuban mojito! Learn the secret ingredient in these famous Cuban cocktails and what secrets make them totally authentic.

I love Cuba!  And visited the country in January 2016. Besides the lifelong friendships I made, this recipe is the best souvenir ever…oh and this recipe post has a lot of photos I took in Cuba so enjoy…

Links in this post are Amazon Affiliate Links to products I use and love.

Readers Love This Recipe Because:

• “We made this mint mojitos the other night and OMG- So darn good!”
• “Lisa, loved all your pictures of Cuba and the directions on how they make Mojitos in Cuba!”
• “Mojitos are my favorite! They were so good! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks, Lisa”
• “What a refreshing cocktail recipe. Now I’m wondering how these will taste with your Cuban pork cuban sliders! I sense a reason to gather. LOVE your photos from Cuba (and those Havana Club glasses). Another great post!”

How To Make REAL Cuban Mint Mojitos:

Start with lime juice and mint

Step 1: In each glass: add 2 teaspoons white cane sugar, and the juice of half a lime. In Cuba, they don’t place the lime into the glass, just the lime juice!

STEP 2: Next place one long mint stem into each glass and simply muddle (push down and twist) the bottom of the mint stem only NOT THE MINT LEAVES into the sugar and lime juice.

Two reasons for this: one you don’t get a strong bitter taste when you over muddle the mint leaves, and they stay pretty and green not brown and bruised.

This PRO TIP came from the bartenders we met on our trip and was confirmed with my good friend Abel who is a Cuban travel guide, and trust me, he knows a thing or two about mojitos!

STEP 3:

Add rum, bitters and ice

• Next, add 1 shot white rum, 3 drops aromatic bitters.

PRO TIP: Use good white rum from the US or Puerto Rico, Cubans typically use Havana Club 3 year white rum~ but we can’t get that here in the USA, the Europeans and many countries in the world can so enjoy the real experience if you can get your hand on authentic Cuban rum.

Why can’t you get real Cuban Rum in the US?

When you travel to Cuba and YES you can travel to Cuba as a US Citizen, you are limited on what you can bring back from Cuba. You are allowed up to $100 worth of cigars and/or alcohol like Cuban Rum. The other rule is you have to carry it back, no shipping is allowed.

Source: Daily Beast

The US government does not allow Cuban Rum to be imported due to the trade embargo from the 1960s. Cuban products are widely available in Europe and other parts of the world. If and when the United States becomes a more active trading partner with Cuba, then Rum would be high on the list of things to import from Cuba along with Cigars!

What Mint for Mojitos?

Yerba Buena and Mojito Mint are used interchangeably in the popular cocktail, particularly in Havana, Cuba because they have a similar flavor.

Mojito Mint, Mentha x villosa, was brought to North America from Cuba about 15 years ago. Up until 2005 or 2006 this mint was rare and hard to get outside of Cuba.

Secrets to REAL AUTHENTIC Cuban Mojitos:

So the first secret to making your mojitos as the Cubans do is to use aromatic bitters! It balances out the sweetness of the mint and sugar. The brand I use is called Angostura, a product from the Caribbean islands that you can easily find in the US and globally.

Secondly, there is a trick to muddling the mint.  Normally mudding results in brown smashed mint leaves in the drink which is not pretty or tasty.

PRO TIP: Simply muddle (push down and twist) the bottom of the mint stem into the sugar and lime juice. And finally, they didn’t leave the lime peel in the glass, which makes the drink a little bitter due to lime peel.

People have asked about the best way to see Cuba. Easy, go with Mary Drobny and her company is Cultural Journeys.  Mary is adored by the Cubans, lives there part-time, and is kinda “famous” in Cuba. Hey, they knew her at the airport when I landed, and she has friends all over the country!

Go to Cuba, it is amazing. The cars and cigars are great, but the people, food, art, and architecture will delight you!

All The Best,

Lisa XO

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Real Cuban Mint Mojitos: My Cuban Culinary Adventure

A Real Cuban Mint Mojito Recipe straight from my trip to Cuba. Learn the secret ingredient in these famous Cuban cocktails and what makes them authentic!

Course Drinks & Cocktails

Cuisine Cuban

Keyword authentic cuban cocktail, cuban mojitos

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 157kcal

Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Mojito glass and wood muddler

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons white cane sugar
• 1/2 lime juice only
• 1 long mint sprig – The original Cuban recipe use spearmint or yerba buena a mint variety very popular on the island of Cuba
• 1 shot of white rum good US or Puerto Rican brand, Cubans typically use Havana Club 3 year white rum
• 3 drops aromatic bitters Angostura brand is best
• sparkling water
• wooden muddler small wooden spoons work fine

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Start with lime juice and mint

• In each glass: add 2 teaspoons white cane sugar, and the juice of half a lime. In Cuba, they don’t place the lime into the glass, just the lime juice!
  
• Next place one long mint stem into each glass and simply muddle (push down and twist) the bottom of the mint stem only NOT THE MINT LEAVES into the sugar and lime juice. Two reasons for this: one you don't get a strong bitter taste when you over muddle the mint leaves, and they stay pretty and green not brown and bruised. (This tip came from the bartenders we met on our trip and was confirmed with my good friend Abel who is a Cuban travel guide, and trust me, he knows a thing or two about mojitos!)
  

Finally add white rum, bitters and some ice

• Next, add 1 shot white rum, 3 drops aromatic bitters.
  
• Add few ice cubes, in Cuba they don't add lots of ice because it is not commonly used, top with a splash of sparkling water, mix, and sip away!

Notes

about Cuban rum: Havana Club – El Ron De Cuba, is not currently available in the US due to the import embargo. You can find some good options like Havana Club – Puerto Rico available at specialty liquor stores.

garden mint growing tip: 
plant mint in a pot in your garden, mint sends runners and will run everywhere in your garden and you don’t want that.

shortcut for making large batch mojitos for a large party: making many mojitos for a party can be time-consuming on the host. Note: this is not a “real Cuban mojito”, but saves time and tastes amazing! make mint simple syrup in a large batch: bring 2 cups water and 2 cups white cane sugar to a boil, turn off heat and drop 8-10 mint leaves into the pan. Let steep for 10 minutes, then remove the leaves. Once you have your mint simple  its time to make the mojitos: Add 3 tablespoons simple mint syrup per glass, 1 shot white rum, 3 drops aromatic bitters, 1/2 lime juice only, few ice cubes, splash sparkling water, mix,  and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Sodium: 31mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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