When you think of the classic Cuban cocktail, the Mojito, a crystal-clear drink with lashings of ice and fragrant fresh mint, is what springs to mind. The summer rum brand Havana Club is looking to shake things up, bringing a Mojito with a twist to the table. Enter the Golden Mojito, made with Havana Club Añejo Especial. But should you mess with such a classic cocktail? We tried it to find out.
What is a classic Mojito?
The classic Mojito is, in all honesty, a pretty simple drink. Who really created it and when are unclear, but it originated in Cuba, with early iterations reputedly consumed for medicinal purposes.
The recipe we know today was first documented around the 1920s, and the first recipe with the name Mojito attached was in the 1930s. Its popularity has grown, and the classic Mojito remains a firm favourite on cocktail menus around the world.
So what’s different in a Golden Mojito?
To switch things up a little, Havana Club suggests swapping out the white rum and using its Havana Club Añejo Especial
instead.
This golden-coloured rum has been aged in oak barrels, which impart colour and flavour to the liquid. Substituting white rum for this honey-coloured alternative makes a subtle yet distinctive difference to the Mojito.
How do you make a Golden Mojito?
The recipe is the same as the classic version, but using a different type of rum. We did a head-to-head taste test of the two different Mojito styles, using the exact same recipe and method for each.
The ingredients you need to make a Golden Mojito are:
40ml Havana Club Añejo Especial
20ml lime juice
80ml soda water
2 tsp of white sugar
Fresh mint leaves
Crushed or cubed ice, whichever you prefer
Add the sugar and lime juice to a highball glass and stir until the sugar dissolves. To get the most flavour from the mint leaves, give them a gentle squeeze before adding them to the glass. Add the ice to the glass, and then add the Havana Club Añejo Especial and soda water and stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
If you’re a lover of the classic Mojito, you’re very likely to find its golden counterpart just as appealing. The mint and lime pair perfectly with the golden rum, which has a sweeter flavour than white rum.
With hints of vanilla and caramel, and a little more depth of flavour from the oak barrel ageing, the Golden Mojito makes a lovely, cool, refreshing summer cocktail.
No matter which version of the Mojito you find yourself drawn to, they are both delicious and way too easy to drink in as the sun shines down. Does a Golden Mojito outshine the classic? It certainly gives it a run for its money, but also proves that, as the old saying goes, a change is as good as a rest…
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