Remember those great classic movies from the ‘30s and 40’s? You know the ones that run marathon showings on TCM: were directed by Hitchcock and O’Selznick; starred Audrey and Cary or Tracy and Hepburn, featured “dames” in great gowns, debonair, daring guys, and cocktail shakers, seltzer bottles and crystal decanters were de rigueur.
Maybe we’re a product of our pop culture or possibly the Generation of Free Love and Rock and Roll is simple maturing -- evidenced by our evolving vices du jour. The millennium brought to center stage the Martini. Appearing first in its classic form, it quickly evolved to variations ranging from the simply flavored to concoctions which seemed more comfortable on the dessert menu than the bar menu.
Now, as we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, the classic, elegant and sophisticated Martini is sharing its spotlight with another classic cocktail that and carries a Hemingway connection and a hint of Desi and Lucy. The Mojito, like the Martini, never really left the American bar scene, it simply hung in the wings and patiently waited for its fans to beckon it back to center stage.
Tracing its roots to 1586 Havana, about to be pillaged and plundered by Captain Francis Drake and his crew, the unofficial predecessor of the modern Mojito was a concoction of Aguadiente (the crude forerunner of Rum), sugar, lime and mint served with a wooden spoons adorned with a cock’s tail handle. By the mid-1800’s, the Mojito came to resemble the classic cocktail appearing at the top of some of today’s trendiest drink menu. Don Facundo Bacardi Masso established the original Bacardi Rum Company, substituted Rum for Aguadiente – and as they say, “the rest is history”.
This Cuban cousin of the all American Mint Julep is fast becoming the drink of choice for many members of today’s Baby Boom generation --- and their offspring. Like the Martini, the Mojito requires few ingredients: rum, sugar, lime, fresh mint, ice, the right bar tools – and for the true aficionado – a garnish of freshly cut sugar cane. And like the Martini, the recipe looks simple; the making of this magical elixir is part chemistry and part art.
The perfect Mojito begins with a tall glass. Muddle 3 fresh mint sprigs. Add 2 tsp of sugar, 3 Tbsp of fresh lime juice and 1-1/2 oz of light rum. Top with a spritz of chilled club soda (or seltzer). Garnish with a sprig of mint and freshly cut sugar cane and enjoy.
Like the Martini, the classic Mojito is quickly finding that it’s keeping company with a cast of thousands: raspberry, mango, apple and tangerine flavors which are surely just the beginning of a list of flavor selections to be limited only by the imagination – of Baby Boomers and their friendly bartenders.
