Mojito
Havana in a tall glass: white rum, mint, lime and soda — the most refreshing cocktail Cuba ever gave the world. Ingredients: Cuban-style white rum, fresh mint leaves, lime, sugar (or sugar syrup), soda water, lots of ice. Method: 1) Gently press the mint with sugar and lime juice in a highball glass — wake the leaves up, never shred them. 2) Add the rum and stir to dissolve the sugar. 3) Fill with ice, top with soda, and crown with a mint sprig. The experience: cool, green and sparkling — a sea breeze off the Malecón. History: the mojito's ancestry is often traced to “El Draque,” a 16th-century Havana mix of aguardiente, mint and lime; the modern rum version rose to fame in Havana's bars, above all La Bodeguita del Medio, and never left.