World Mojito Day: Here are 10 recipes with a twist to celebrate the classic Cuban cocktail

While the exact origin of Mojito has been a subject of debate, one of the theories say that it was Sir Francis Drake who stirred up a concoction to protect his pirate crew from falling ill during his voyage of discovery by sea using ingredients easily available on the voyage. Called ‘El Draque‘ or ‘The Dragon’, the drink was made with a cane spirit called aguardiente, sugar, key limes, and a mint called hierba buena which grew naturally in and around the sugar plantations of the time. The drink, which was initially lauded for its medicinal properties, grew to become a Cuban favourite, long after Drake’s unsuccessful invasion of Havana in the late 1500s. 

“It only became known as the Mojito and found its way to global fame roughly 300 years later in the nineteenth century, when Don Facundo Bacardí Masso, established Bacardi Limited in the beautiful Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba in 1862 and replaced the rough aguardiente with his award-winning BACARDÍ Carta Blanca White Rum,” says Hemant Mundkur, Brand Ambassador, Bacardi India.

The name has been derived from the African term ‘mojo’, which means spell or magic potion. “The balance of fresh mint and lime with caster sugar is perfectly matched by the delicacy and crispness of rum, thereby stirring up nothing short of magical creation,” he adds. 

This Cuban cocktail comes under the category of Highballs and traditionally consists of five main ingredients - white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda, and mint. Like all the highballs, Mojito also is a summer drink. To mark World Mojito Day today, we look at some interesting versions of this classic cocktail, which can also be stirred up at home. 

1. The Classic Mojito
(Hemant Mundkur, Brand Ambassador, Bacardi India)

Ingredients: 50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca Rum, 4 lime wedges, 10 fresh mint leaves, 20 ml sugar syrup, 25 ml soda water/club soda, a sprig of fresh mint

Method:
• Take the lime wedges and squeeze them in the glass and add sugar syrup. Gently press together the limes & sugar with a muddler.
• Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in.
• Next, half fill the glass with crushed ice, add the rum & stir.
• Top with crushed ice, a sprig of mint and club soda.

2. Murabba Mojito
(By Sanchayan Jana, Head Mixologist - ITC Maratha)

Maharashtra is known for its Alphanso Mangoes from the Konkan regions and one of the very famous by-products is Mango Murabba in Indian households. It's a sweet mango preserve with some local Indian spices.

This refreshing concoction with a tangy-sweet touch of Mango Murabba will bring a perfect bridge between sweetness and tanginess and makes it a perfect summer/monsoon cocktail which can be enjoyed any time of the day. 

Ingredients: White rum 45 ml, mango murabba 2 bar spoon, pineapple puree 10 ml, lime chunks 4-6 no, sugar syrup 10 ml, mint leaves 10 no

Method:
• Add all the ingredients in a tall collins glass, add crushed ice churned out nicely with a bar spoon and add a splash of soda on top.
• Garnish with fresh chunks of mango & mint leaves. 

3. Lemongrass Basil Mojito
(By Chef Mitesh Rangras -  - Restaurant Consultant)

This Lemongrass Mojito with cucumber and basil is the most refreshing drink you can make. Ideally, if you’re making this for a group (4-6 people) you could use a bottle, or else this could be done with a beaker or a small bottle as well. 

Ingredients: White rum - 240 ml, lemongrass stems - 5 to 6 nos, sugar syrup - 200 ml, lemon juice - 2 lemons, basil leaves (fresh) - a big bunch, cucumber - ½ nos, ice

Method:
• Taking the stem of the Lemongrass, you need to wash it well. Then bruise the bulbous part with the handle of a knife or a wooden pestle which helps in releasing the essential oils. This can be kept inside the bottle of white rum for a few hours and it’ll impart incredible flavour to the spirit. 
• Muddle the basil and cucumber with lemon juice and sugar syrup. 
• Add the flavoured rum (60ml or more if you like) mix well. 
• Place nicely cut wedges of lemon lightly squeezed and some cucumber slices along the sides. 
• Add lots of ice to the glass and top with soda. 
• Use the lemongrass stem as a stirrer and serve up your magical Mojito. 

4. Basil & Ginger Mojito
(By Gautam Rathod, Head of Operations, The Sassy Spoon Mumbai)

Ingredients: White rum - 60 ml, basil leaves 5-6, ginger - 4-5 thinly sliced sleeves, lime wedges - 5-6, brown sugar - 5-10 gms, soda water - to top up

Method:
• Add ginger sleeves with lime wedges and brown sugar in a tall glass, muddle thoroughly.
• Add basil leaves and muddle gently
• Add crushed ice in the glass and add white rum, mix all the ingredients thoroughly
• Top up with soda water
• Garnish with basil leaves and ginger sleeve.

5. Matcha Mojito
(By The St. Regis Mumbai)

For Sorbet Cocktail: 60ml Bacardi Carta Blanca, 2-3 sprigs mint leaves, sugarcane honey for sweetness, ½ tsp matcha powder, 15ml- fresh lemon juice, ice to blend, lemon slice (garnish)

Method:
• Take a Margarita glass and garnish the rim using dehydrated mint dust.
• Make a hollow Ice sphere Mould.
• Mix all the ingredients together and crush it ice in a blender and make a sorbet-like texture. Pour the mix in the sphere mould and top it up with Bacardi Carta Blanca. Break the ice mould to savour our take on the classic Mojito.

6. Beetroot Pomegranate Mojito
(By Juliano Rodrigues, Executive Chef at Out Of The Blue)

Ingredients: Beetroot dices (small) 5 nos, pomegranate juice 25 ml, lime wedges 2, mint leaves 10, lime juice 15ml, sugar syrup 20ml, 45 ml beetroot infused Bacardi rum, 15 ml Bacardi white, 5 nos crush ice
For coat on the rim of the glass (Rock Glass): A pinch of black salt and black pepper 
To garnish: Lime slices and 2 tsp pomegranate seeds

Method:
• Muddle the beetroot dice with 4 mint leaves in a muddler or in a rock glass 
• Build up the mojito by rimming the glass of with black salt and black pepper 
• Put 5 cubes of ice in a rock glass, pour in muddle beetroot & mint leaf in glass, followed by pomegranate juice 
• Pour in lemon juice followed by sugar syrup 
• Then pour in beet infused Bacardi rum and Bacardi white rum 
• Stir well with a stirrer. Place lemon wedges in the glass
• Garnish with a lime slice and pomegranate seeds

7. Ren Mojito
(By Noel Mendes, Restaurant Manager, Lake View Café, Renaissance Mumbai)

Ingredients: 45 ml Bacardi gold, 30 ml mango puree, 15 ml limoncello, 10-13 mint leaves, 15 ml lime juice, 90 ml ginger ale 

Method:
• Add all the ingredients in a tall collins glass and shake well. 
• Garnish with mango chunks and mint leaves 

8. Watermelon Basil Mojito
(Hemant Mundkur, Brand Ambassador, Bacardi India)

Ingredients: 50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca, 3 to 4 chunks watermelon, 2 to 3 basil leaves, 20 ml Fresh Lime Juice, 15 ml Sugar Syrup

Garnish: Basil leaves sprig and watermelon wedge

Method:
• Take watermelon, sugar and lime and muddle gently in an old-fashioned glass.
• Bruise the basil leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in.
• Next, fill the glass with crushed ice, add rum and stir.
• Top with crushed ice, a splash of club soda and garnish with basil leaves sprig and watermelon wedge

9. Jamun Mojito
(Hemant Mundkur, Brand Ambassador, Bacardi India)

Ingredients: 50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca, 25 ml Jamun Fruit Syrup*, 20 ml lime juice, 4 to 5 mint leaves
Garnish: mint sprig

Method:
• Bruise the basil leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in the highball glass
• Next, fill the glass with crushed ice, Jamun fruit syrup, lime juice and rum and stir.
• Top with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig

*For Jamun Fruit Syrup
Ingredients: 40 Jamun fruit, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water
Method:
• Deseed all Jamun fruit and place in fruit in a blender. Blend this smooth and strain the liquid.
• Next, add strained liquid into a pan, with ½ cup of water and sugar.
• Cook on a slow flame for 20 mins.
• Allow to cool, refrigerate and use as required.

10. Pomegranate Mojito
(Hemant Mundkur, Brand Ambassador, Bacardi India)

Ingredients: 50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca, 15 ml lime juice, 10 ml sugar syrup, 2 tablespoons pomegranate, 8 mint leaves, Soda
Garnish: Mint sprig, pomegranate seeds

Method:
• Add pomegranate in the glass and gently muddle.
• Place mint in a glass and gently tap with a muddler.
• Add rum, lime juice & sugar syrup.
• Fill glass with crushed ice, and a splash of soda. Mix well, garnish with a mint sprig and serve.