The Mojito traditionally uses fresh mint muddled with lime and sugar.
Its other classic ingredients are white rum, lime juice, sugar, soda water and ice. The mint contributes a cool, aromatic character, while lime supplies acidity and rum provides the alcoholic base. Modern recipes often gently press the mint rather than crushing it aggressively, which can release bitter flavors from the leaves and stems.
The Mojito is associated with Cuba, especially Havana. One popular story connects an early version to a medicinal drink called El Draque, named after the English privateer Francis Drake’s associate Richard Drake. Historians continue to debate the details of that origin story.
Mint is sometimes confused with similar-looking herbs such as basil or cilantro. Those herbs can appear in modern variations, but they are not the traditional Mojito ingredient. Cuban-style recipes may use hierbabuena, a type of mint commonly associated with the drink.