Latest Drink Recipe
In my opinion, one of the greatest triumphs of the cocktail renaissance is the rediscovery of the classic Old Fashioned. I’ve often spoken of how at some point after the repeal of Prohibition, the Old Fashioned became lost and possibly confused with a long-forgotten drink called a Smash (basically a tarted-up Mint Julep covered in fruit), a mere husk of its former, glorious self.
For decades, bartenders just like me served a limp, weak concoction consisting of a half-muddled sugar cube, a mashed-up neon red cherry and orange, a splash of whiskey, and some soda water drowning the results.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, that’s all changed with the renewed interest in classic cocktails. Now at any given night at my bar you can find literally a dozen people sipping on two ounces bourbon touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters, garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes.
But don’t try to pull that bullshit with the good people of the Great State of Wisconsin, where the Brandy Old Fashioned rules supreme. It’s not the same drink as above, it just shares a name. And if you make it right, really right, it’s a damn delicious cocktail and worthy of examination.
Being located in a hotel, we’re used to serving folks from all over the world. And the first time I witnessed a guest from Wisconsin stare blankly as one of my bartenders handed over two ounces of Cognac touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters and garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes, I knew some further training was in order.
So in the name of making cocktails – all cocktails – with as much of our hearts as we can offer, I present to you what I believe to be the perfect Brandy Old Fashioned… Wisconsin-style.
I start with an old fashioned glass I’ve chilled in the freezer. Call it a tumbler, call it a double rocks glass, or call it a bucket, it’s a glass you’re familiar with. To that I add two dashes of Angostura bitters and a teaspoon of sugar. If I’m in a hurry I use a 2:1 simple syrup, but if I’m going to spend some time, I use a sugar cube. The sugar cube is preferable here because it’s going to add some friction to the muddling we’re about to do. Brace yourselves, cocktail “nerds”.
Next I’ll take a thick-cut orange wedge, and a cherry. The usual suspect here is a grocery store maraschino cherry, but I always choose a brandied Amarena cherry. Remember, you’re going to get out what you put in, so a quality cherry is going to make the drink that much better.
I muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to touch the orange peel too much as it’ll bring unwanted bitterness to the party – just work around the peel and pulverize that orange meat.
Your standard Brandy Old Fashioned brandy of choice is Korbel: cheap California brandy. Considering the hundreds of thousands of cases they ship to Wisconsin every year, it might be considered sacrosanct to use anything else. But if you want to do this right, really right, then do yourself a favor and use some good Cognac. I have my preferred brandy, you have yours.
At this point your typical Wisconsinite barkeep is going to add ice and finish the drink in one of two main ways: sweet or sour. Those who take it sweet will ask for a splash of Sprite or 7-Up, those who take it sour get a dose of Collins Mix or Squirt. To me, it’s just a way of watering down the drink, so I leave out the soda and take a more… cocktail-y method.
Crushed ice is a must for me whenever I whip up a Brandy Old Fashioned. I always skip the soda and let the tiny shards of ice do the work, taming those strong, sweet flavors and turning this into a drink you can sip slowly.
As for a garnish, most will throw a “flag” of an orange wedge and a cherry spiked through with a wooden toothpick, but my take here is that those things are already in the drink, so I skip ‘em. Besides, how pretty does that look without the goofy fruit salad perched over the top?
You know, it’s something to enjoy sipping on while you cook up some bratwurst and onions in a boiling kettle of beer before everyone comes over to watch the Packers game. Drink accordingly.
Brandy Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange wedge
1 cherry, preferably Amarena or Maraska
2 oz brandy or Cognac
In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to work the orange peel. Add brandy or Cognac, stir, and fill glass with crushed ice and serve.
Most Popular Articles
A side project, an experiment or just a simple curiosity that turned into a delicious phenomenon that we're still serving to much delight at our bar, barrel aged cocktails explore the gentle manipulation of a drink's flavors over time. This post details the inspiration, the history and the methods behind my barrel aged cocktails.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
Turned off by the glop you find in the grocery store, and unable to endure another long egg and cream whipping session, I set out to build an egg nog recipe from the ground up that retained the character of the orginal formula, was easy to make in a few minutes at home or at the bar, and tasted absolutely delicious. See if you agree with the result.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. I started tending bar while getting my degree in Interior Architecture, and slowly I came to the conclusion that bartending was what I really loved, and that I might as well drop everything and focus on being a professional bartender. Over the years I have strived, both behind the bar and with this website, to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
05 Jul 2007 at 11:17 AM 1. Steve
Good, timely advice! I love a well-mixed mojito, but seriously f’ed up ones are far too common for me to order them regularly. Your recipe looks like a winner; I’ll have to try it out sometime.
By the way, how do you feel about Cruzan rum compared to Bacardi? I like Bacardi just fine, but it seems like when I make a drink with Cruzan it ends up having a stronger, rummier flavor, which I like. It’s also possible I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Steve
Liquor Store Stories
05 Jul 2007 at 11:38 AM 2. Jimmy
Great, my ad expires, and you begin posting…..
I must disagree with this one:
Do not order a mojito at a dance club, sports bar, drink stand, airport bar…..
The best bar in San Jose, if you want a properly made cocktail, just might be the Martini Monkey at San Jose Airport.
05 Jul 2007 at 12:12 PM 3. Gabriel
My personal favorite rum to use in a Mojito is Cruzan Light. For me, it has just the right amount of sweetness and ‘rummish’ quality to blend wonderfully in this. I prefer it to Bacardi Silver.
However, I have to agree that going with Gold messes up a good Mojito; the Cruzan Light is as dark as I get with it.
05 Jul 2007 at 11:51 PM 4. Jeffrey
Steve, I think Cruzan makes a great mojito as well.
Jimmy, point taken, but you know what I meant!
Gabriel, I’m glad we’re in agreement. I had someone order a Myers’s dark mojito last week. Yikes. And this is from someone who loves a Myers’s daiquiri with a dash of orange bitters.
Thanks for the comments!
06 Jul 2007 at 3:47 AM 5. Sean Bigley
Cruzan gets my vote too! I’m also not opposed to an occasional 10 Cane Mojito. But certainly not with my contraband Havana Club 7 anos. That’s my sippin’ stuff. I’m willing to share Jeffrey, but you better get to Vegas before it’s all gone!
Cheers!
06 Jul 2007 at 4:29 AM 6. Scottes
I would think that the Cruzan is too light to really come through in a Mojito. I love the Cruzan, but I like a bit more taste in a Mojito.
I’ve found that the Ron Matusalem Platino is very close to the Havana Club Anejo Blanco, and much better than Bacardi Superior.
I recently ran a comparison involving these 4 rums as well as Pyrat Blanco:
http://scottesrum.com/tag/comparisons/5-white-rums/
06 Jul 2007 at 7:31 AM 7. Maxine
Thanks so much for this! I attempted mojitos for the 4th of July and ended up with only a slight resemblance to what I was hoping for. I will definitely try your recipe when I give it another go. Can’t wait! :)
06 Jul 2007 at 7:35 AM 8. Dan
10 Cane makes a fabulous Mojito.
Does anybody else ‘roll’ their Mojitos after it’s been built? I simply pour everything into my shaker shell and pour it back into my collins glass. Everything gets nice and mixed up (including the mint leaves) and it gives the drink a really nice look.
06 Jul 2007 at 11:24 AM 9. Michael
over muddling the mint is not necessarily amateurish depending on a couple of factors. 1) increase the ratio of rum to lime juice. i’ve tried 3:1 with sucess. since the mint/sugar is more concentrated, i find the extra rum gives the drink a nice balance. 2) shake and STRAIN. no one wants tiny pieces of mint stuck in their teeth and clogging up their straw. I would never shake a mojito unless the flavors could stand up to the added water. (i would never shake whole leaves. that’s just wrong.)
as an added note, Ten Cane makes a great mojito. i certainly agree that dark or gold rums could muddy the flavors but not this one. of course you have to shall out 3x as much money. there’s that.
06 Jul 2007 at 12:20 PM 10. Booze Dummy
Michael, I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused. I like the look/presentation of lime rind and (whole) mint leaves in my Mojito. That’s a big part of what makes a Mojito a Mojito, at least to me. Besides, if you shake, strain, and don’t add water… isn’t that just a mint-flavored Daquiri?
06 Jul 2007 at 1:00 PM 11. Jeffrey
Here’s a question for Scottes, would 10 Cane be considered, technically, rhum agricole? I know it’s not made from molasses but rather pressed cane juice…
I don’t typically roll a mojito, but I’m not opposed to the idea. However, I think the swizzle component is an integral part of the drink.
As for straining a mojito, I’m going to have to go with Booze Dummy on this one. The mint and the lime rind are important elements to the cocktail.
And if you really want to do it right, use your fingers to squeeze that lime. You’ll find that by not disturbing the bitter pith you’ll end up with a much more authentic drink.
Cheers!
06 Jul 2007 at 1:46 PM 12. Scottes
Ten Cane is not an agricole, since agricoles are strictly regulated by the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), a set of very strict French laws governing how one makes agricole, cognac, etc.
Ten Cane is made in a similar way as agricoles – but so are Barbancourt rums and cachaca, and you have 3 very different tastes. Much of this has to do with the different distillation methods (agricole is distilled to 74 proof, cachaca generally much lower, Ten Cane probably much higher), yeasts, aging, etc. Since the AOC strictly defines the entire process you get similar tastes among agricoles, whereas cachacas can vary wildly.
Ten Cane does have some of the qualities of an agricole like the crisp freshness and the mild fruity tendencies and being on the dry side. And I have to agree that Ten Cane makes an excellent Mojito, but it can be done much cheaper.
06 Jul 2007 at 3:47 PM 13. Darcy
I’m glad to see your recipe doesn’t include bitters. A lot of people are saying that a Mojito contains them, but they don’t.
I love Havana Club Anejo Blanco rum. I find Matusalem rum to be very, very light in flavour. They even market at the vodka crowd. Flora De Cana has a good white rum.
07 Jul 2007 at 9:58 AM 14. Michael
it’s a legitimate argument booze dummy. i wouldn’t shake and strain unless the mint was truly ground into more of a mint sugar paste. shaking and straining with limes and sprigs would result is something less palatable. i got the idea years ago from chefs Mary Sue Milliaken and Susan Feniger (of Border Grill fame) who whipped up a batch of premix in a blender with mint, lime juice and sugar, then strained it out. it’s not a traditional mojito, i suppose, but it still makes one hell of a good drink.
07 Jul 2007 at 1:29 PM 15. Jeffrey
Years ago I worked in a pretty high-volume restaurant bar, where we made a mint-infused brown sugar simple syrup for our mojitos. We would then juice a whole lime into the glass with an ounce of our mint simple, add rum, ice, and garnish with a sprig.
No, it definitely wasn’t traditional, but it tasted fine and we could crank them out by the dozen.
07 Jul 2007 at 3:28 PM 16. Betsy
I’m getting hordes and hordes of Google searchers invading my site for my mojito recipe.
I just updated the post to point them back to you/this page instead of sending them back to Google, poor souls!
You’ve got me re-examining my own rum choice – Cruzan Gold (must head to liquor store NOW) – but you should check out some of the variations I’ve come up with; I’d love to hear your thoughts!
08 Jul 2007 at 2:04 AM 17. Jeffrey
Well, thanks, Betsy!
Definitely try silver rum in place of gold or dark. Remember, you want that bite to balance out the sugar, the mint, and the lime. Too much butterscotch and the whole drink falls apart. Keep those gold rums away from your mojito!
08 Jul 2007 at 11:09 AM 18. Darryl
I like the look of the mint and lime in the drink as well, but since my blender screams bloody murder when I try to crush ice with it, I usually just shake and strain my Mojitos. When topped with a sprig of mint, they look just as nice to me.
I also go with Gary Regan’s tip and use granulated sugar, which grinds against the lime zest when muddling and results in a stronger lime taste.
And good point about Bacardi – it actually makes a damn good Mojito.
09 Jul 2007 at 9:33 PM 19. Dina
MMMkay… I swear to the lord… I just came over to your site to ask you about which rum was best for mojitos that I’m making this weekend… and lookit what I found on the main page!! AWESOME! It helps to have the right friends.
Can’t wait to make ‘em.
Thanks Jeff…
09 Jul 2007 at 9:56 PM 20. Jeffrey
Dina, I’m just glad I could help.
10 Jul 2007 at 9:01 PM 21. Dominik MJ
Yeah its Mojito time. I just cannot agree on the “do not use gold rum”. I also prefer white rum (Matusalem Platino is really great – I don’t like the relatively unbalanced flavors of Havana Club Anejo blanco though the best Mojito rum for me is for the moment Angostura 3 years; a slightly smoky white rum).
But most Cuban bartenders are using Havana Club 3 years for their mojitos nowadays and looks as it goes perfectly fine!
I also wouldn’t muddle the lime and just bruise but not muddle the mint (whole sprigs).
Though it is not a classic mojito a Bermuda Luxury “Mojito” is also a hell of a drink: just use Gosling Family Reserve instead of light rum – definitely less refreshing, but deep, complex and just superior!
11 Jul 2007 at 12:44 AM 22. Sean Bigley
I still think I’ll go with the white rums myself. I’m not a big fan of vanilla, butterscotch, caramel notes in my Mojito. I only like to use the leaves of the mint. The stems are very bitter and will alter the flavor. As for muddling, I like to press the leaves just enough to release the oils.
It is great to see all the variations that everyone here uses, though.
Cheers!
11 Jul 2007 at 2:07 PM 23. Scottes
“Do not over-muddle the mint…”
Yesterday I visited Rumba, a rum bar here in Boston, and watched a young bartender make a Mojito. He was *grinding* the mint, putting his whole body behind the muddler, grinding like he was trying to turn the glass back into sand…
12 Jul 2007 at 8:31 AM 24. Kevin Erskine
Mojitos are so yesterday…What are your thoughts on the caipirinha?
12 Jul 2007 at 1:14 PM 25. Jeffrey
Hey, everybody! This little discussion of ours has been picked up by Food and Wine Magazine’s Blog.
As for the caipirinha, I’ll get to that…
13 Jul 2007 at 6:43 AM 26. Havanamike
While Jeff’s basic recipe is close to right on, here are a couple of more do’s and don’ts;
1) DO use yerba buena mint where possible, otherwise use english mint more commonly packaged at your grocer. I don’t order a mojito anywhere unless they have fresh mint. Stems are good too.
2) Don’t mix in bulk. This drink needs a tall highball glass and lots of love.
3) DON’T use simple syrups. use two rounded teaspoons of fine-easy disolving sugar. Better yet, use exactly four packets of splenda to cut down on the sugar calories.
4) DO muddle the mint, lime juice, sugar (or splenda) with a splash of the mineral water for 15-20 seconds. muddle and don’t grind. You are trying to extract the oils from the mint here and not trying to make a smoothie.
5) DO agree with the above that white Bacardi works best when Havana Club Blanco or 3 yr anejo are not available.
6) DO share and enjoy.
13 Jul 2007 at 8:26 AM 27. Jeffrey
Thanks, Mike.
I get a lot of “purists” insisting that you should always use granulated sugar rather than – gasp – simple syrup.
These folks, like Havanamike here, will then direct you to add a splash of water and muddle the sugar with the mint, effectively making…. simple syrup.
Folks, you can use granulated sugar and end up over-muddling your mint and making a grainy simple syrup, or you can use simple syrup from the get-go and end up with a drink that has a fine, silky texture.
Your choice.
But nice list otherwise, Mike!
13 Jul 2007 at 5:22 PM 28. minion
actually, use havanna club rum instead of bacardi if you live somewhere where they are allowed to trade with cuba. bacardy is awfull compared to havana club.
03 Aug 2007 at 11:04 AM 29. Mata
Honey I’m back in Javea, Spain and will definitely make your delicious mojito recipe for my friends THIS weekend! Tell you all about it later…hasta luego guapo!
13 Aug 2007 at 6:52 AM 30. David
got to say i use Havana 3yr too. i just think that bacadi has too much of a brittle taste to it.
i would like peoples critical comments on my method, which is quite different to the one posted be still gives a very nice drink.
12 mint leave
3/4 of a lime
15-20mls gomme syrup
50mls havana 3yr
muddle sugar and limes in a glass boston. muddle quite hard to get the oils out of the skin of the lime. loosely tare up the mint leaves and add to glass with the rum. add cubes of ice and shake hard. pour in to collins glass and top with crushed ice heaped on top, sprig of mint and a drop of angostura bitters (not for flavour, for ascetics. it looks cool as it trickles down the extra crushed ice).
i shake the cocktail because
a) i believe the ice smashing against mint releases more of the flavour
b) because i dont have any crushed ice in my bar so shaking breaks up the ice cubes and
c) because it mixes the drink up evenly.
i dont add soda as the shaking the drink waters it down enough.
14 Aug 2007 at 10:23 AM 31. Jeffrey
David
I’m sure your version tastes great, but we’re talking about a very traditional mojito here and there are a few things you don’t want to do when making a traditional mojito:
1. Use anything but white rum. Aged rums muddy the color of the drink and bring some funky caramel flavors to the party.
2. Shake a mojito. Trust me, this is one that wants to be stirred. If you want to crush that ice up, fill a mixing tin with cubes and muddle the hell out of them.
3. Muddle limes hard. Lime juice is a wonderful thing. Bitter lime oil is not. At least not in this drink.
4. Add Angostura bitters for color. A mojito should be pale green and clear as a spring day.
5. Destroy that mint. You want to press the oils out of the leaves, not pulverize the herb into a paste.
Oh, and do add soda water. Please.
22 Sep 2007 at 2:53 PM 32. Jimmy
Yeah, good advice…
I strongly argee with your rules on when to order and when not t order a Mojito…I’ve always viewed it as a drink to be had in the afternoon or on a warm summer night, I view Corona in the same way, drink the light beer when the weather is nice save the stronger dry beers for cold nights and crazy drinking parties.
I also agree with you on where to order it… My favorte place was a bar in asia that use to go to “La Habana”…Could there be a more fitting pace? No. However many of the women that I would find myself with would insist on ordering Mojitos in the crowed austailian sports bar at midnight…I never understood that.
12 Oct 2007 at 5:34 PM 33. Al
All you Carib rum drinkers out there have missed the very best rum for any drink
Thats Flor de Cana out of Nicoragua
Makes a great mojito as well
26 Oct 2007 at 12:04 PM 34. Kevin
It’s interesting to see how much everyone thinks they know about mojitos.
I live in Miami Beach and have been making mojitos for nearly 10 years and I can tell you one thing, there is no such thing as a traditional mojito anymore, and if you made a mojito down here the way you described, it would be returned. Guaranteed.
You are right about the rum though. White rum, preferably Bacardi, makes the best mojitos.
26 Oct 2007 at 1:05 PM 35. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Now, Kevin, you may not care for my recipe, but I do have a hard time believing that the proportions are so foul that everyone in Miami Beach would return the drink. Seriously.
02 Nov 2007 at 7:09 AM 36. meemalee
At home, we’ve started making mojitos with agave syrup.
Hmmm, sacrilicious …
02 Nov 2007 at 7:48 AM 37. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Meemalee, I think agave syrup is a wonderful way to sweeten a mojito. And lower glycemic index, too!
05 Jan 2008 at 4:07 PM 38. Ryan
Jeff,
Have you ever tried making a Mojito with Bacardi Coco (coconut flavored) Rum? I sent a friend on a mission for white run and he came back with the Coconut flavored stuff. Being a tropical drink, I figured it couldn’t hurt. It seems to really add something to the flavor without over powering the mint and lime.
Thoughts?
Salud!
05 Jan 2008 at 4:12 PM 39. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Ryan
I try to ride this line between attempting to remain very traditional when talking about, making or imbibing cocktails… and not being seen as a snob.
However, I’m going to have to take the high road on this one and say that I think coconut rum tastes like suntan lotion and should be consumed about as often.
However, if you’re looking for a coconut-flavored thrill, why not look for some coconut water? I’ve found it at my local asian and latin markets. Once you’ve procured some, it wouldn’t be hard to carbonate it and use it in place of soda water in your mojito.
Disclaimer: I’ve actually tried this before and it tastes pretty good. Without the suntan lotion flavor.
28 Mar 2008 at 4:21 PM 40. Stef
I made my first Mojito with your suggestions…ummm ummm good.
Thanks
10 Apr 2008 at 7:29 AM 41. Jim Rees
I much prefer Havana Club to Bacardi. If I have none on hand I use Flor de Caña.
I did look into the various kinds of mint. In Havana they use (surprise) Cuban mint (mentha nemorosa), but if you just buy mint at the grocery store you get spearmint (mentha spicata). I can’t find Cuban mint here but I do grow a close relative, apple mint (mentha suaveolens) in my back yard and use that. I did a side by side taste test and they are different. But I can’t swear that you could tell the difference in a mojito, or that one is better than the other.
25 Apr 2008 at 9:35 PM 42. Callum
“Do not order a mojito when there is a line at the bar. Your bartender is probably not going to put a lot of love into it. In fact, you might get just the opposite.”
Have to disagree with this comment – as the Mojito is by far and away my favourite cocktail, I love making them – and it’s a welcome break from the endless Cosmos and French Martinis ordered by people who wouldn’t know a good cocktail if it slapped them in the face.
25 Apr 2008 at 9:36 PM 43. Callum
Meant to add – one of the best Mojitos I’ve had the pleasure of tasting was one in Tallinn, Estonia, where the bar used vanilla infused rum.
30 Apr 2008 at 7:31 PM 44. nancy
I would like to make mojitos for a small dinner party (8 of us) but since I’m hostess would like to do as much as I can beforehand…what if I made a pitcher of the muddled mints leaves, rum, lime and sugar and then poured this into my guests’ glasses with crushed ice and then added club soda? Thoughts?
(and my husband would make a terrible bar tender so that is not an option….)
30 Apr 2008 at 9:53 PM 45. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Nancy
I’ve never been very comfortable making a gallon of mojitos at a time, because it’s one of those drinks that needs to be built directly in the glass in order to be made properly. How will you dole out just the right amount of liquid and soggy mint into each glass? It seems like more trouble than timesaver.
Never fear, though, I do have an alternate suggestion for you:
Pre-mix each mojito in the glass – without the ice and soda water – an hour or two before dinner. Then cover each tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until your guests arrive. When it’s time, even your husband shouldn’t have any trouble filling each glass with ice and topping them with soda water.
I hope this helps, and I think it should be much easier.
Jeff
21 May 2008 at 6:57 AM 46. ND
We do get Havana Club over here, and it really is very good, with all those fruity flavours. However, a worthy variation on the classic IMHO, is to substitute the rum with cachaca… try it and let me know what you think!
28 May 2008 at 9:01 PM 47. Drago
Wow, I’ve just been re-treading through your site all day. First at work w/ the Tonic update and now skimming the archives. I have to say it’s my favorite drinks website, keep up the good work. (Though I also like Drink Dogma and The Paupered Chef sometimes has good cocktail posts.)
It’s funny how everyone has their own spin based on their personal tastebud profiles. I almost never have “light” rum on hand as I think it just doesn’t have much taste until you get to the more expensive brands that I can rarely afford! For mojitos, and just about any other rum concoction, I generally prefer the flavor of a golden rum, such as Appleton Special or (preferably) the Cruzan “Dark” Two-Year. (Which isn’t very dark.) However, I omit almost all of the sugar, just leaving enough to help the muddle, that way we don’t end up with a sickly sweet mess! The rest of your suggestions are spot-on.
I dread what ten mojitos would do to me…or what my heirs would do with my estate.
30 May 2008 at 12:37 PM 48. alixium
(love the blog, by the way)
Reminds me of a mojito horror story of mine: the following happened in a swanky open bar event, in a 5-star hotel. My friends and I are excited about ordering a mojito (should’ve known about the do’s & don’ts!!). The bartender indicates that he rarely did some, but he’ll attempt it for us (bad start). He grabs a highball, drops three mint leaves on the bottom of it, followed by a teaspoon of white sugar (yes! you read well!). He heaps a couple of ice cubes over that, and fills the glass half-way with dark rum. I am speechless at this point. He turns to me and says: – I don’t have club soda anymore, so I’ll just put 7-up. And picks up an already-opened can (which, I will later taste, is totally fizz-less!) and pour to fill the glass.
The worst drink ever.
01 Jun 2008 at 11:23 PM 49. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
(thank you)
Whenever I order a drink and witness some horrifying attempt at bartending like the one you described, I always remember to order one additional drink: a beer in a bottle.
I pay for the whole round, smile, tip the poor bartender that just fumbled through my drink, and leave with both hands full. The cocktail will quickly find itself abandoned on a table or the back of a toilet, and I’ll be enjoying my bottled beer before quietly leaving the establishment.
08 Jun 2008 at 10:53 PM 50. Michael Bolick
About the sugar , Its superfine or powdered in the original recipe . and when you muddle if you twist the mint leaves and then muddle in a little lime juice the acid helps release the natural oils.
I ts all about the type of sugar, mojito’s should be a merky light green.
04 Jul 2008 at 12:04 PM 51. Lisa
Mojitos are my favorite but when I am drug (not by choice) to a lower end bar that does not have a stash of mint, what concoction do I describe to the bartender that will get me the closest?
04 Jul 2008 at 12:48 PM 52. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Lisa – Not to sound high-and-mighty or anything, but if the bar doesn’t stock fresh ingredients, I don’t bother ordering a drink that requires them. Asking for a substitution for fresh mint is like asking for a substitution for fresh cucumber: such a product simply doesn’t exist.
Do yourself a favor and skip the mojito when you’re in a dive bar, and order a rum and soda instead. Extra points to the first person who can tell me what this drink is called.
04 Jul 2008 at 1:05 PM 53. ND
Would that be a Bacardi Highball? (With a gracious nod to cocktaildb.com, LOL). Do you think Fee’s mint bitters would enhance a Mojito, BTW?
07 Jul 2008 at 10:15 AM 54. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
According to Wayne Curtis in his book “And a Bottle of Rum”, the drink is called a Mismo.
05 Aug 2008 at 7:08 AM 55. Fran Johnston
Cruzan is the only way to go!
06 Aug 2008 at 1:54 AM 56. Mojito Recipe
To Darcy (comment #13), a traditional mojito as per Hemingway’s interest doesn’t contain bitters, but you can’t say that mojito’s “aren’t” supposed to contain them. Many Havana hotels will add angostura bitters in order to cut the sweetness, it’s not terribly traditional, but it’s not a no-no either.
31 Aug 2008 at 5:03 AM 57. fornetti
I do not believe this
20 Oct 2008 at 9:26 AM 58. Taff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojito
I’m not sure the ice must be crushed and a gold/dark rum version with dark sugar is acceptable (well in Cuba at least), but is certainly heavier in flavour.
And sugar syrup is OK too. It’s all about your taste and preference I guess but don’t say that it’s “NOT” a mojito if dark rum used, if it’s not with crushed ice etc…
The key is it must have mint, sugar and rum over ice topped with carbonated water.
Try a little variation, you may like it.
04 Nov 2008 at 7:12 AM 59. Daniel
Great blog roll here. very interesting to hear everyones thoughts on the mojito. i work in a bar where i personally crank out 30-40 mojitos of a friday and sat night and my method is very similar to jeffreys. one thing i do is i slap and put the mint in the highball first, followed by the limes and sugar syrup. then i muddle lightly. the limes are protecting the mint from bruising and tearing while still applying enough pressure to release the essential oils and flavours. add the lime juice, ice and rum (we use havan 3y/o) and stir it up before topping off with soda. hmmmm.
25 Jan 2009 at 4:35 PM 60. Dustin
10 cane is the best IMO. Add a piece of sugar cane stick to your drink and its perfect.
12 Feb 2009 at 4:36 PM 61. William
Good advice.
But frankly, I see no harm in sipping a Bloody Mary after sundown. Just ask the Brits.
25 Feb 2009 at 2:56 AM 62. Martin K.
Dear Mr. South Beach,
went there with my wife the other day and ordered Mojito right there on Ocean Dr. Came out in a plastic cup, with two small mint leaves, and a wedge of lime floating around, none of which was muddled. Tasted like someone spilled simple syrup in the “Mojito”. Horrible stuff.
05 Jun 2009 at 9:51 AM 63. Todd Appel
I agreed with EVERYTHING except I do like a golden rum with a bit more flavor sometimes…
definitely not dark…
with margaritas I would never use a reposado or anejo..but the quality young tequila has so much more flavor than clear rum-vodka so I only use plata
09 Jun 2009 at 3:35 PM 64. Linda
Great recipe.
Johnathan and who ever else said to add juice….It isn’t a mojito if you make it into fruit punch! Rename your version, please.
18 Jun 2009 at 7:47 AM 65. Min
i made mojitos with coco-water before but you really take it to another level….carbonate the coco-water, fukn brilliant. Its perfect for home use, but it can easily become an expensive drink if its for commercial purposes, them 100% coconut water packets are not cheap at all. Make sure it says 100% pure coconut, GOYA’s coco is not pure.
By the way this is the best mojito, i’ve had in my life.
The seriousness of your mixology really shows in between these efforts you make.
05 Jul 2009 at 4:46 PM 66. John Eason
How can you have this discussion without mentioning Don Q Cristal or Limon? Here is a recipe that I love and use frequently in demonstrations. BTW…I work for Don Q so I am a bit biased.
10 mint leaves
1 rounded tbsp sugar
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice or 1/2 lime sliced into 3 wedges
11/2 ounce Don Q Limon
Splash soda water
Lemon or lime wedge for garnish
Place mint, sugar and lime in 12 ounce glass and muddle together
Fill glass with ice. Add rum. Shake vigorously. Top with splash of soda water.
Garnish with lemon or lime wedge.
08 Jul 2009 at 2:58 AM 67. will
A great twist on the traditional mojito is to replace the soda water with a sparkling white wine you can use a sweeter one and cut down on the amount of sugar you use. Also I was recently shown an “Infuego” which is a couple pieces of a seeded jalepeno muddled with cilantro sugar and a white tequila.
14 Jul 2009 at 8:19 AM 68. Sue
I recently made a mojito martini, just sugar, mint, l/2 lime and dark rum. Amazing, all in a shaker and serve in a sugar rimmed martini glass.
18 Jul 2009 at 10:03 AM 69. Claire Doyle Ragin
I have been to a couple of places that make “mojitos” with sprite. Yikes. They are usually the same places that have bud light on draft.
20 Jul 2009 at 1:02 PM 70. Bo Darville
I ordered one once and it was made with Malibu and Sprite. They served it in a 20 ounce glass, too. That’s 20 ounces of pure ickery.
03 Aug 2009 at 3:16 PM 71. Mike
Jim,
If you have friends in Mexico you can get Havana Club rum and bring it back. If you can’t get to Mexico, you may want to try Cruzan Mango Rum in your Mojito for a differnt taste treat. While I prefer Barbados rum (Mt. Gay or Doorly’s, taste is a personal thing. If you like Malibu, you are off my list.
Mike
03 Aug 2009 at 4:03 PM 72. Didi
Having read this advice as well as most of this hompage (thanks for the Tonic recipe!!!) I’d like to add some points:
1) Don’t use crushed ice. Use smallish cubes or cracked ice. A mojito is meant to be rather strong a drink and it should be watered down enough by the soda you are topping it off with.
2) Don’t throw the hulls in the drink. Nobody does this in Havana (and I’ve been to most of the famous and some not so famous bars there). Furthermore, In a drink that doesn’t call for muddling the limes hard, to release the essential oils, it is IMHO just wasted glass capacity (yes, I know, I’m greedy).
3) It’s not a no-no, but I’d rather not use simple syrup. Superfine cane sugar dissolves quickly enough, if you stir until the drink is cold enough. The reason is, that a mojito contains relatively little soda water (or should at least). Simple syrup and crushed ice impart non bubbly water into the drink. But since you want to use a good splash of soda, without overdiluting your Mojito, cutting down the non bubbly water you are adding to the drink (i.e. crushed ice and syrup) is a good idea.
4) I don’t know, what you mean by overmuddling. If that means not to destroy them, so you dont have tiny specks of mint floating in the drink, I’m all for it. But if that means muddling the mint gently, like you would in a mint julep, I’d call that wrong. The bitterness that muddling can get out of the sprigs of the mint is very pleasant in a mojito (kinda like the poor man’s Angostura). As a rule of thumb, I’d say, muddle as hard as possible, without destroying the integrity of the mint leaves.
5) The advice to use only white rum is somewhat misleading. Technically 3yrs old Havana Club is to be considered an aged rum. Nevertheless it is the standard rum in a mojito against which all others are judged. And I’d opine, that it is the best rum out there for a mojito, since the demise of Matusalem (I mean the real one, not the US version.). Possibly Caney as just as good. (Using somethin like a 7yrs old rum in it is not wrong per se, but it would be called a mojito mulata, instead of just mojito.)
I apologize for the lengthy post, but it seems to me, that during the long embargo, the US version of the mojito has been subtly changed by bartenders who try to apply what works with the mint julep to the mojito. Thus I wanted to share some feedback based on numerous travels to Cuba (and my own experience trying to reproduce what the best bars in Havana serve).
27 Feb 2010 at 1:01 PM 73. Chris
At the risk of herersy, a friend got me a bottle of mango flavored rum. I only drink rum in mojito. Not wanting to offend the charming lass, we mixed mango mojito. It was a nice departure from the usual.
And yes, I mix mojito in winter; to thumb my nose at the blizzard outside. Not only that, I sip my mojito while enjoying a nice cigar out in the cold. Any takers?
21 Apr 2010 at 9:56 AM 74. geo
For a tasty addition, we throw in a shot of St Germain into the mix. YUM!
I’m going to have to try the S.Pellegrino, currently we use Schweppes Club Soda & were considering making our own because $4.99/6pk is putting a dent in the old bank account, as we love us some tasty mojitos.. ; )
Will also try muddling the mint less, though I predict I will miss the stronger mint flavor. I’m willing to try, though..
Thanks for the tips, Jeffrey!
24 Apr 2010 at 9:42 PM 75. Loren
I think a good clarification on the muddling issue would be to suggest focusing all muddling efforts on the stalks and leaving the leaves as intact as possible. The juice is in the stalks and as mentioned above, muddling the leaves breaks them up, makes them less attractive, and results in greenery amidst your teeth. Unfortunately, many bartenders don’t know this, but this was something that the best bartenders that I encountered in Havana, Cuba over my five visits have stressed… and after tasting literally hundreds of them there and elsewhere, I must agree with them.
24 Feb 2011 at 6:41 PM 76. Robert
I recognize the heresy, but suggest that flavor is flavor. I like dark, aged rums. As with most things, quality in, quality out. Mint is a strong flavor, why try to force a white rum to match up with it? Again, I admit I like flavor, and sometimes subtlety is lost on me. My only concern is wasting a really good rum (a single cube is usually good) on a mixed drink. But, when it comes to mojitos, I am willing to risk it.
07 May 2011 at 7:00 AM 77. Cheryl
As summer approaches I stumbled on this article about mojitos and had (as did many others in the thread) a couple of opinions. I start by making a mojito base (quantities dependent on how many I am anticipating making)- in a bowl I put the sugar, squeeze the limes (and scraping some of the pulp in, no rind or pith) and add the mint. Then I muddle the heck out of everything to make a syrupy paste. Usually there is enough lime juice to make it pourable, if not, add a smidge of water, just enough so you can strain it. That can go in the fridge to sit awhile and infuse.
When the time comes to assemble the drinks, I get the (clear) glasses and put in ice cubes, 1-2 thin slices of lime (totally for visual), 2-3 mint leaves (visual) and then a shot of rum. I strain the mojito base and put about 2 shots in each glass. Top off with Pellegrino. Then I try to arrange the lime and mint so they are dispersed through the glass. Garnish with a tiny minut sprig. To me, the mojito should be as visually refreshing as it tastes- barest hint of a greenish color, the cool green lime slices and mint leaves floating in the glass- those should all combine so that when you see your mojito you think, “Wow, I didn’t know I was that thirsty!” and then you take a sip and the taste matches perfectly with the refreshment that you expected just from seeing the drink.
Yeah, I’m a little in love with mojitos. They aren’t bad as a virgin drink either. My daughter came up with a variation that sounds uber-exotic, but it’s not-it’s a member of the mint family and citrus, but this time it’s basil and OJ (and pellegrino/ice). I did not try that with rum, so I can’t vouch for it as an alcohol cocktail, but the flavor combo is fantastic and it just sounds impressive, bc it sounds like your going to be drinking spaghetti or Italian food (since basil is usually considered a savory). I bet a pastis or anisette would be yummy with that- use fennel fronds as the garnish and it’s like a sweeter, drinkable fennel-orange salad…
25 Apr 2012 at 5:54 PM 78. Eric Lecours
ciao jeffrey, you mentioned the following above, “Do use bottled mineral water in place of seltzer water. Remember, garbage in, garbage out.”
i think i’m missing something. why is seltzer (soda) water inferior and mineral water better?
btw, we carry a great italian mineral water at the restaurant but the sparkling version is only lightly sparkling, i.e. frizzante.
cheers, eric
16 Jun 2012 at 4:19 PM 79. Anthony
*thought
Actually now I’m wondering if you could make a nice drink with basil instead of mint. In parts of SE Asia there’s yum non alc drinks made with crushed basil leaf and basil seed. It’s kind of minty but with an aniseed hit. Like Thai basil.
10 Sep 2012 at 11:14 AM 80. Casey
This has been a great thread to read through, but I have to ask the pros here for some help.
I need to make about two gallons of mojitos. I know it can be done. So, to that end, what is the best and easiest way to accomplish this?
It can be done. Thanks,
Casey
20 Sep 2012 at 9:50 PM 81. Christopher James
I’ve had lots of success with the Dark N Stormy Mojito on my drink menus of the past. Obviously its a mash up of the dark n stormy and the mojito.
1.75 oz Goslings Black Seal Rum
1.0 oz fresh lime juice
.75 oz simple syrup
10-12 mint leaves
Ginger beer
Rim the glass being used with the mint leaves and lightly muddle them with the lime juice and simple syrup. Add the goslings, fill the glass 1/2 way with crushed ice and stir until a frost forms. Add desired amount of ginger beer (I prefer about an ounce and a half). Top off with more crushed ice. Garnish with clapped mint sprigs (julep style) and serve with straws. Not only does the mint rim reinforce the mint aroma, if the guest chooses to drink from the glass its a nice surprise of mint. The straw should exceed the height of the mint sprig garnish so if the guest chooses the steaw theyll get a nice waft of mint as they imbibe.
31 Dec 2012 at 7:10 AM 82. Shannon @ TheDrinkBuzz
I LOVE all your do’s and donts!!! Mojito’s are my favorite drink and I agree NEVER use pre-made mojito mix ;)