National Mojito Day Date in the current year: July 11, 2024

The mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail that consists of five key ingredients: white rum, sugar cane juice or sugar, lime juice, mint, and soda water. The sweetness of the sugar, the refreshing sourness of the lime and herbaceous mint flavor complement the rum, resulting in a perfect summer drink.

The mojito as we know was created in the Cuban capital of Havana, but there are several theories as to where its precursor came from. Some food historians claim that the mojito has developed from a folk remedy for various tropical illnesses invented by indigenous South American tribes. Others believe that it was popular among African slaves who worked at Cuban sugar cane plantations.

One of the most popular theories claims that the precursor to the mojito was El Draque, a beverage concocted by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 as a remedy for his ill crew members. It consisted of the healing bark of the chuchuhuasi tree soaked in cachaça (a distilled spirit made from sugar cane juice; rum didn’t exist back then yet), lime to treat scurvy, and mint to calm the stomach.

The origin of the name mojito is also unclear. One of the theories claims that it derives from mojo, a Cuban sauce that contains citrus juice (mojito is the diminutive of mojo). Another states that it is a derivative of mojadido (“lightly wet”), which, in turn, is the diminutive of mojado (“wet”).

Mojito is sometimes said to have been a favorite drink of American author Ernest Hemingway who lived in Cuba from 1942 to 1945. The bar La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana lays claim to being the birthplace of the mojito and takes pride in the inscription that reads “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita” that is attributed to Hemingway. However, the writer’s biographers doubt that Hemingway indeed loved mojitos or frequented La Bodeguita and left an autograph there.

Be that as it may, the mojito is the summer drink of choice in many parts of the world. It is one of the IBA official cocktails, listed under the category Contemporary Classics. According to the official IBA recipe, the mojito consists of 45 ml white rum, 20 ml fresh lime juice, 20 ml sugar syrup or 2 tsp white cane sugar and 6 sprigs of mint, topped with soda water. The cocktail is poured over ice in a highball glass and garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves.

The origins of National Mojito Day are unclear, but don’t let it stop you from celebrating. On July 11, go out to your favorite bar that serves mojitos or make your own mojito at home and invite friends over to share a drink. If you can’t drink alcohol, indulge in a virgin mojito or mojito flavored anything, for example, ice cream, cheesecake, or a cupcake with rum, lime and mint frosting. And don’t forget to snap a picture of your mojito and share it on social media with the hashtag #NationalMojitoDay.