The cocktail made with rum, lime juice, sugar, and mint is the mojito.
A traditional mojito is a Cuban punch built from white rum, lime juice, sugar, mint, soda water, and ice. The mint is gently muddled with sugar and lime rather than pulverized; bruising the leaves releases aromatic oils without making the drink excessively bitter. Soda water adds lift, while rum provides the alcoholic base.
Havana is widely regarded as the mojito’s birthplace, although its exact origin is debated. One historical theory connects it with an earlier drink called El Draque, made with crude sugar-cane spirit, lime, sugar, and mint. The modern cocktail became internationally famous through Cuban bar culture and later through tourism and popular writing.
The recipe is often confused with a daiquiri, another Cuban rum-and-lime cocktail, but a classic daiquiri does not use mint or soda water. A margarita uses tequila, lime, and orange liqueur. A mojito without alcohol is commonly called a virgin mojito or nojito.