Los Roques-Venezuela, a destination filled with scents, sighs and feelings, where our palate dresses up to welcome the best dishes and the most explosive drinks altogether with the right mate.
On this tasteful feast we always have the kings of kings and that's precisely what we'll devote ourselves in these lines, to the King of Caribbean cocktails: the Mojito. A very popular cocktail all over the world and that has its origins in Cuba, but not as commonly believed, conceived in "La Bodeguita del Medio" in Havana; it was invented in the Prohibition Era in the United States when North Americans needed to leave the country to drink alcohol, and Cuba was their favorite island.
The mojito is also well known for being one of Ernest Hemingway's favorite drinks over his long stay in Cuba; this famous writer used to say:
“My mojito in La Bodeguita and my daiquiri in El Floridita.".
To prepare a Mojito you only need to mix the following ingredients:
4 oz (120 ml) of aged rum ("ron añejo" either white or brown)
Half lime or lemon juice
Some crushed mint leaves (Mentha spicata)
2 sugar teaspoons
4 ice cubes
Soda
1 lemon twist or a mint leaf to decorate
Alternatively, a few angostura drops, for a "mojito criollo". To enhance the flavor of the ingredients.
Recipes come and go constantly to find the perfect spot for this delicious and refreshing cocktail but definitely the perfect touch to enjoy it the most is not written yet. That's it because there is no comparable feeling than enjoying a Mojito on Gran Roque beach shore, walking or standing by over white sand, after a day of stunning beaches and natural wonders.
Precisely, Los Roques is this magical place in Venezuela, the one with beautiful beaches, clear water, perfect nature and perfect climate… wouldn't a Mojito taste like glory in this Caribbean paradise? ;)
