The Mojito

This traditional Cuban cocktail became popular in the United States during the late 1980's and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity. A Mojito (pronounced moh-HEE-toh) is made of five ingredients: mint, rum, sugar, lime juice, and club soda. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and mint flavours are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made the cocktail a popular summer drink. Mojitos were the second favourite drink (after Daiquiris) of the writer Ernest Hemingway. There are countless recipes for the Mojito , but this version is the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito's place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba.

• 60 ml Havana Club White Rum
• 1-2 tbsp sugar syrup
• 1 Lime
• a handful of fresh mint sprigs
• club soda

Method: Place the mint leaves into a long glass and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about 60ml of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device with a bulbous end, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Alternative: While the following isn't the original recipe for a Mojito, some people will take half of the juiced lime and cut into into four wedges to add to the glass. Another variation is to add Angostura bitters to cut the mojito's sweetness. Some Cubans also use "guarapo" in place of the powdered sugar, which is a sugar cane syrup.