Although subject to conjecture, the renoun mixologist, Constante Ribailagua is typically given credit for concocting the Mojito during his tenure as a bartender at the Floridita in Havanna, Cuba. Making use of the plentifully, light-bodied Bacardi Rum, lime juice, simple syrup, mint leaves and charged water (club soda) --the thirst-quenching Mojito was elevated in popularity from its origin as a plantation owner's/workers libation. Research suggests that former bartender, Eddie Woelke, after his return to the USA following Prohibition, and after bartending stints in Paris, France and Havanna, Cuba, won the Madison Avenue Week Cocktail Competition by creating the Madison Avenue Cocktail. The drink was a comparable spin-off of the Mojito, but with the addition of Angostura Bitters and a hint of Cointreau. Other mentions of the Mojito include: (1) Key West Florida's Sloppy Joe's Bar Manual circa early 1930's, (2) La Bodequita del Medio lounge of Havanna, Cuba, a haven for rising stars, artists, and musicians, and (3) as a front-runner on the bar-menu at Joe Baum's premium restaurant, La Fonda del Sol during the 1960's.
Submitted by Barbara Clougherty, Master Mixologist & Beverage Instructor for Wines, Steins & Cocktails, Ltd -- Trainers of Top Shelf Bartenders Coast to Coast -- WinesSteinsandCocktails.com --or-- Bartender Express.Info