Which Martinique rum for a successful mojito ?

The mojito is a very famous cocktail that is offered in most bars. A simple cocktail based on rum, refreshing, thirst-quenching and not too strong in taste. It is therefore an ideal cocktail to fight against the hot days. While the mojito is a Cuban cocktail at the origin, can it marry well with a rum from Martinique?

What is the mojito?

The mojito is a mythical cocktail, emblem of Cuba and one of the most requested cocktails in bars. Even if it is not the simplest cocktail to make, it is a cocktail very appreciated by bartenders, and it is easy to find everywhere.

It is a cocktail that is usually made with neutral industrial rum. But in Martinique, it is more interesting to ask with which Martinican rum to prepare it.

The Mojito recipe

The mojito is a cocktail based on the triptych of lemon, sugar and rum that is found in many rum-based cocktails.

In addition, there is mint for the taste and sparkling water to make a long thirst-quenching drink.

For the rum, as it is a Cuban cocktail, the official rum to make a mojito is a Cuban rum. That's why we often associate the mojito with Havana Club, even if it's not the original rum.

The mojito is a cocktail that respects the rule of the 3 "s", sweet, sour and strong. Sweetness is provided by sugar, bitterness by mint and lemon and strength by rum. To be successful, a good mojito must respect this balance.

And so the recipe for the mojito is as follows:

• Mint leaves (about 10);
• A teaspoon of cane sugar;
• One lime;
• Sparkling water;
• 5 cl of Cuban rum;
• Ice cubes.

How to prepare the mojito?

The mojito is a cocktail a little long to make. It is not complex, but the few steps that must be followed make that even a bartender can take more than a minute to make it. And when there are a lot of cocktails to make, it gets tiring fast. So some bartenders have simplified the recipe to make it much faster to make.

You can choose between these two methods to make your mojitos:

The original method

Time needed: 15 minutes.

How to prepare a mojito

1. In a mojito glass, put the mint leaves, sugar and lemon (either in wedges or in juice to avoid bitterness). Fill the glass halfway with sparkling water.
2. Crush it all with a pestle.
3. Add the 5 cl of rum and 4 ice cubes.
4. Mix with a bar spoon.
5. Add a straw, garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint and serve.

The quick method

For this method, you will have previously squeezed the lemons and added the sugar in the juice to make a syrup. 

In a mojito glass, put the mint leaves, 2.5 cl of lemon syrup, 5 cl of rum, 4 ice cubes and fill with sparkling water. Just mix with a bar spoon, garnish and serve.

A little history on the mojito

The origins of the mojito go back a long way to the 16th century. At the time, Francis Draque, a privateer in the English navy, was terrorizing the Spaniards. Between two naval battles, Francis Draque liked to give comfort to his sailors by offering them tafia (ancestor of rum). Mint leaves were often macerated in the tafia to improve its taste. This drink was called Draquecito or mojo.

Over time, tafia was replaced by rum which was of better quality. And lemon juice was added which made it an excellent drink to fight scurvy.

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the rise of the cocktail fashion, a Cuban bartender had the idea to revisit this drink. With a quality rum, a technique and a dilution, he made a drink that quickly conquered the Cubans. In the 30s, this cocktail was so appreciated that it was considered the emblem of Cuba.

Small anecdote, the mojito is also a cocktail very appreciated by Ernest Hemingway. And like the Daiquiri, it is a cocktail for which Ernest asked for a double dose of rum. For Ernest, an alcoholic drink had to be strong.

Some variations of the original recipe

You may have already noticed that the recipe has been changed to allow a faster preparation. But the recipe has not really been changed.

The mojito has been modified several times to meet several expectations, but without changing the rum.

You can for example add raspberry or strawberry to the recipe. This adds more flavor to the recipe and most importantly, it gives it a nice red color.

You can make a mojito arranged rum by macerating lemon and mint in rum. You only need 5 days of maceration to have a good result without bitterness. Then, you can put 6 cl of your arranged with carbonated water to make a mojito.

For people who do not drink alcohol, you can also replace the rum with apple juice. You will then obtain an Apple mojito.

Why make a Mojito with Martinique rum?

So, you have understood so far that the rum used to make a Mojito is industrial rum, preferably Cuban. The Martinique rum is an agricultural rum, very different in aroma compared to the industrial rum.

We will skip the fact that Martinique rum is of much better quality than industrial rum.

What is important to understand here is that Martinique rum is very aromatic. When you make a Mojito with Martinique rum, the rum is felt in the Mojito. It does not only bring alcoholic power, it also brings an aromatic power.

Thus, the balance of the 3 "s" rule is broken. The Strong, the power, takes the ascendancy over the sweetness and bitterness.

Beyond this point, know that a Mojito made with a Martinique rum is very good. After all, why make a rum-based drink if not to smell it at the end? Might as well make a Mojito with Vodka then. I encourage you to try a Mojito with Martinique rum.

Which Martinique rum to choose to make a Mojito?

You are now convinced that you want to taste a good fresh Mojito made with Martinique rum. But which Martinique rum would be the most interesting?

To answer this question, it will be interesting to know what experience you want to live.

Getting as close as possible to the original taste of a Mojito

In order to get as close as possible to the original taste of a Mojito, you will need a Martinique rum that is not too strong. The ideal is to take a 40° white rum of current consumption. It can be a Saint James, a HSE, a La Mauny or a Trois-Rivières.

The taste of your Mojito will be different. But diluted in lemon juice and sparkling water, the rum will not show its character too much. You will have the sensation of being closer to a real Mojito.

To feel the power of rum a little more

You have decided to taste a Mojito with Martinique rum, it is to see the difference. Then it is interesting to take a rum of much better quality, more powerful and more aromatic.

This rum, you can find them in the same distilleries as the previous ones. You just have to take a white rum at 50 or 55°. These rums are thus much more powerful. But they are also much more aromatic. With 5 cl of agricultural rum to 50° in a Mojito, you are going to feel it the rum.

In fact the cocktail is more loaded in alcohol. The aromatic has much more character. It manages to take over the lemon and the mint. It becomes the main aromatic and this despite the dilution.

To give a new aroma to the Mojito

You may want to give a new dimension to the Mojito and radically change its aroma by adding a little spice.

For this, you should choose to make your Mojito with an aged rum. Ideally, you should find an aged rum close to 50°. The idea is to have a rum with a woody profile that will bring spice to the Mojito. It will also bring a light caramel color. The experience of tasting a Mojito with an aged agricultural rum will change your idea of a Mojito.

Beware, after this kind of experience, a classic Mojito in a metropolitan bar will not give you as much pleasure. This also makes it a luxury cocktail, as aged rums are much more expensive. But with quality ingredients, you have a quality blend.

Personally I recommend you to try a Mojito with the HSE Small Cask vintage 2004. You may only taste one such Mojito, but it will leave a mark on you.

To consume with moderation!

I hope you have enjoyed this little trip and that it has given you the desire to discover the Mojito in another way. Know that there is no limit to the creation. Keep in mind that the most important thing is to please yourself. Don't forget that a shared rum is a pleasure tenfold; but also that alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink in moderation.

About the author: Régis Lapèze

Thank you for reading this article so far. I had the pleasure of writing for Tourcrib and if you enjoyed it as much as I did, I invite you to read my content on my blog.

I am the author of the Rum and Whisky blog and as the name suggests, I only write about rum. I distill tips and tasting notes to help you develop your knowledge in the world of rum. If you want to develop your palate and know how to properly choose a bottle, this is where it happens.

I am a rum enthusiast. It's not my job. I do not work with any brand. I deliver to you according to my experiences what I learn in the world of rum.