Easy Cuban apple mint mojito
Very easy to make it’s the home grown mint that gives the Cuban apple mint mojito such a lovely flavour.
- Lovely, easy summer drink
- Great for parties or enjoying sunshine in the garden
- Very quick & easy to make.
There are lots of different types of mint you can use, but it’s the apple mint that gives the apple mint mojito such a fresh flavour.
Cuban Cuisine
The influence of Spain has a real impact on Cuban cuisine, even though there are also African and even Chinese foods & recipes that have had an impact.
Yes there are lovely sandwiches, rice dishes, etc. But the one that really is tempting it the Cuban mint mojito. According to Wikipedia it is a very traditional drink that has been made for many centuries.
Please note – the original mint that is used tends to be Mentha × villosa (called yerba buena or hierbabuena in Cuba). This has a mild citrusy flavour. In this recipe I used apple mint, which gives this mojito a lovely flavour, but it’s not authentic.
However (see below) it’s a lot of fun experimenting with different types of mint.
How to make Cuban apple mint mojito
Ingredients:
- 5 apple mint leaves
- 1 tbsp cane sugar (muscovado)
- 2 shot Rum (50 ml)
- 100 ml Soda water (1 cup)
- 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
- ice cubes
Equipment
- 1 cocktail muddler
Instructions
1. Prepare the mint, sugar and lime
- Cut the sprigs from the apple mint and remove the leaves
- Put sugar into a glass and squeeze the juice of 2 of the lime wedges on top. Then add the apple mint leaves on top.
- Use the muddler to mash the mixture together bottom of the glass
2. Make the mojito
- Pour the rum on top of the mixture
- Then add the ice cubes on top in the glass
- Pour the soda water on top.
- Stir and garnish with lime slices and mint leaves
- Enjoy
3 Key items to focus on.
When you make a mojito 3 items will make a real difference:
1. The mint you use.
There are very many different types of mint you can use. As mentioned above the authentic mint in Cuba is Mentha × villosa has a mild citrusy flavour. When made elsewhere most people will tend to use peppermint, which has a much stronger flavour.
However there is nothing to stop you experimenting with different mint types – below are just a few examples and the different flavours they will generate.
2. The sugar you use
In the recipe below I used light muscovado – which is cane sugar, used in Cuba. You can use dark muscovado or even granulated sugar. They will all have an impact on both the taste and colour of your mojito.
3. The rum you use
There are a variety of different types of rum.
For example you can use:
- Regular light white rums – most often available in shops with a simple rum flavour
- Dark rums – which can be stronger with a more ‘woodie’ flavour
- Spiced/flavoured rums – which can include anything from vanilla and nutmeg to coconut, raspberry, etc.
The recipe below used a light white rum but you can use any type in your drink.
.
Easy Cuban apple mint mojito
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail muddler
Ingredients
- 5 Apple mint leaves
- 1 tbsp Cane sugar (Muscovado)
- 2 shots Rum
- 100 ml Soda water
- 1 lime (cut into 4 wedges)
- 1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
Prepare the mint, sugar and lime
- Cut the sprigs from the apple mint and remove the leaves
- Put sugar into a glass and squeeze the juice of 2 of the lime wedges on top. Then add the apple mint leaves on top.
- Use the muddler to mash the mixture together bottom of the glass
Make the mojito
- Pour the rum on top of the mixture
- Then add the ice cubes on top in the glass
- Pour the soda water on top.
- Stir and garnish with lime slices and mint leaves
Video
Nutrition
Made this recipe ?
Would be great if you could click on a star above right (below the main picture) to rate it
The country recipe challenge.
This recipe is part of my country recipe challenge, where I am trying to find 1 recipe from each country in the world.
The easiest way to keep updated is to follow me on either my Instagram or Facebook page.
Sweet apple mint tea
Easy Cuban apple mint mojito
Lime mint lemonade
Peppermint lemonade
Fresh Tabbouleh Salad
Very enjoyable drink to make with a lovely flavour