While in Cuba, i regularly enjoyed a refreshing and simple mojito as an apero.
Over there compared to over here, it not served particularly strong, and it has far less of every ingredient except soda.
Whenever I order a mojito in Switzerland or the UK, I always get served a drink with too much rum, far too much sugar, too much mint and so on. While this may well be to many of your tastes and help you phase out reality so much the quicker, I really got to like the more simple and refreshing Cuban style.
So my question.... can I find a Cuban style mojito somewhere in Zurich, without having to painfully explain to the bartender what it is im looking for?
Seriously tho', try making one yourself, plenty of youtube videos and written instructions floating around on the internet. The mint leaves must be fresh, but you could grow some on your own balcony/window sill, and the rest of the ingredients don't typically go bad (except of course the soda once you open the bottle... or just buy a soda making machine).
And then all you need to do is play with the amount of Rum vs Soda vs Lime juice to get your taste buds aligned with your personal preference. Even a virgin Mojito tastes quite nice and won't get you the alcoholic buzz if you wish to avoid that
And amaraya's little touch of adding sugar cane sticks as a stirrer is ingenious!
Finally, take some mint leaves, crumble it up in your hand ever so slightly, and rub the rim of the glass (once all ingredients are inside) with this mint, so that the aroma of the mint leave oils leaves a hint of minty aroma that immediately catches the nose of the drinker. Very nice way to bring up the minty odor to ones nose as they raise the glass up to their mouth.
Three ways to go about this really... standard crystal sugar often takes too long to "mix" into the Rum/Soda.
Better is to use very fine sugar, this dissolves much quicker.
Another trick is to make some syrup using 50/50 sugar and water.
From what I've experienced, different people like it in a different way. Some actually prefer small sugary crystals at the bottom of the glass, otherss prefer the syrup. And so on...
But have you sipped one while sitting on the balcony of the hotel nacional in Havana, taking in the sunset over the malecon?
Seriously though, if you have had them from all over... have you had them in Cuba and can you see the differences I am highlighting? Perhaps you can share your experiences further?
I was in the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva on Saturday night. For chf 50 for two drinks, I hoped they might appease me. The barman assured me I would get cuban style. Came euro style... huge long drink with half a mint tree sticking out of it. Sent it back. He checked on the internet and then I received something more closely approximating what I wanted.... with the emphasis on approximate.
No I wasnt doing a Michael Winner, it was actually a friendly enough discussion. But I resolved that night to ask the advice of that all seeing all knowing repository of everything, EF: sadly, I think I may remain unsatiated.
Had a look at Mojito on wikipedia. Their picture approximates what Im looking for, in terms of how the liquid looked (though this one is a bit flash with the presentation)
Nowhere does a Guinness taste better than at St James's Gate; nowhere does a Singha taste better than Koh Phi Phi; nowhere does Grappa taste better than ... I think you oughta try heading back to Cuba, this time with me as company. I can assure you it won't taste the same as when you enjoyed that sundowner with the company you had on the previous occassion...
(Ask for it 'sour'; oftentimes they make it here with Sprite, killing the subtlety)