The Mojito is a Cuban cocktail made with white rum, lime juice, sugar, mint, and soda water.
The drink is traditionally built by gently pressing sugar and lime with mint, then adding rum, ice, and carbonated water. The mint is usually bruised rather than aggressively crushed, because excessive muddling can release bitter flavors from the leaves. Recipes vary in the amount of sugar, lime, and soda.
The Mojito is strongly associated with Havana and Cuban bar culture. Its historical background is sometimes linked to an older drink called El Draque, although the exact connection and timeline are debated. The modern name and recognizable form became established much later.
The Mojito is often confused with the Daiquiri, another Cuban cocktail, but the Daiquiri does not traditionally contain mint or soda water. It also differs from Brazil’s Caipirinha, which uses cachaça and muddled lime pieces rather than rum and mint.