If you love a great mojito knowing where to get the best mojitos in Madrid can be a great adventure of exploration with a possibly great reward. Take a stroll from your short term flat in Madrid and enjoy a great drink and possibly one of the oldest cocktails ever made. Enjoying the true mojito means that you understand exactly what the drink includes and how it is made in order to become a true connoisseur.
History of the Mojito
Most people understand that the mojito is a drink of Mexican, Cuban or Spanish origin. Most histories posit the origin of the drink squarely in the realm of Cuba, yet one story relates the tale of how Sir Francis Drake, pirate enemy of the Spanish and English sailor, landed in Cuba when his ships contracted dysentery and scurvy and were told of a local cure. The drink, El Draque, named after Drake for his Spanish pirate name was made by the local natives with firewater, a raw alcohol made from sugarcane, lime juice, sugarcane, and mint. It is also thought that the origin of the drink possibly came from African slaves working the sugarcane fields that used sugarcane to make another sweet drink called Guarapo. In any case the name mojito is thought to come from the Spanish word mojadito meaning “a little wet”. Mojo creole marinades adapted in Cuba using citrus may have also played a role in the drinks history.
Making a Mojito
It is very important to understand how a traditional and true mojito should be made in order to ensure that you are getting the best drink available. If the bartenders you frequent are not following this process your mojito may be underserving your taste buds. The drink is comprised of five ingredients including, white rum, cane sugar or cane sugar juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, sparkling water and mint, either spearmint or yerba buena. The most important part of making the mojito is the beginning stages of mixing the cane sugar, lime juice and mint together. This part of the process is called muddling and requires that the ingredients are mixed together in order to bruise the mint leaves without cutting them up or tearing them in half. The simple bruising of the leaves will ensure that the essential oils are released from the leaf but not the bitter tannins. At this point, rum can be added and mixed with the sugar, after which crushed or whole ice is added with garnish.
Mojito’s in Madrid
Finding the best Mojitos in Madrid can be an adventure of exploration of the local Cuban restaurant scene. El Mojito, Calle del Olmo, 6, is sure to have one of the best in the city. However other great places could include, Olokun, Centro Cubano, and La Cubanisima. Just remember that a great mojito is made from fresh ingredients, by hand and with the right procedure.
Spend time exploring the Cuban restaurants to find the best mojitos in Madrid either near or far to your short term flat in Madrid.
