Mojitos
The Mojito is roughly a Caribbean version of the Mint Julep that substitutes rum for bourbon. They were in all likelihood developed in parallel, fed by the oppressive humid heat of the bayous of Louisiana and the swamps around Havana.
One story traces the origin to a cocktail invented by a pirate named Richard Drake (not to be confused with Sir Francis Drake) in Havana in 1586. Made with aguardiente (literally flaming water,) the unrefined precursor of rum, sugar, lime and mint, it was called a Draque and was refined in the 1800s when rum became available.
The name Mojito could come from a corruption of mojadito (a little wet) or a diminutive of mojo (a seasoning sauce used in Cuban cuisine) or some have even said that mojo is an African word meaning to cast a spell. Whatever the origin of the name, the drink is beguiling and tropical.
