The English navigator Francis Drake had invented the Cuban mojito to calm an outbreak of scurvy suffered by his sailors. Today it is the second most popular drink in the world
The English owe it to Sir Francis Drake for defending their lands against the Spanish invasion of 1588, but the whole world seems to owe it to him for creating the Cuban Mojito cocktail. This discovery was made in the 16th century during an expedition to the New World.When the navigator wanted to pay attention to the health epidemic that had spread among his sailors.
The most famous version – which some historians reject for lack of evidence – says so Drake landed on the island of Cuba during an ocean voyage. His ship's crew encountered scurvyIt was a common disease among sailors at that time who developed symptoms of fatigue and weakness after long periods at sea.
She was Drink prepared by Drake any It would put an end to the illness of its sailors Your formula? It was clearly a mixture of toffee (a sugarcane drink produced in a primitive way before rum), lime, mint, and Chochowassee bark. The latter is a plant (Maytenus Macrocarpa) used by indigenous communities for medicinal purposes for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and immune system-stimulating properties.
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The English sailor's recipe is very similar to the one prepared today in thousands of pubs around the world. Along with the twist on the float – now professionally distilled white rum – lemon, white sugar, fresh mint and soda are added.. Perhaps the current version does not remove any disease, but it certainly kills some of the hatred.
From James Bond to Hemingway
It was a mojito The second most popular cocktail in the world in 2023according to the annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report published by Bacardi Magazine Visual capital. It sits behind only the classic Gin & Tonic, which is expanding its advantage into Europe, the US and Japan. He recalls that in Germany, for example, the Cuban cocktail was one of the ten most consumed drinks in that country in 2014. Statista.
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About the American writer Ernest Hemingway (“The Old Man and the Sea, among other works) There is also a legend. It is said that, as a frequent visitor to Cuban bars, he would repeat this phrase over and over again “My mojito is in Bodeguita… my daiquiri is in Floridita.”
It is not certain that the phrase is from Hemingway, but it is from his love for Cuba and his stay there La Bodeguita del Medio. It is an emblematic bar in Havana that was famous for preparing mojitos, especially in the 1920s when Americans began traveling to the island to escape the embargo Which banned the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the country.
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The truth is that he is even a secret agent James Bond is a mojito loverA scene from the 2002 movie “Die Another Day” immortalized his love for the drink. Actors Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, during the 2004 movie “Colliteral,” also ordered this cocktail in a scene during their visit to a nightclub.
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