Old Havana : Floridita & Bodeguita

Old Havana : Floridita & Bodeguita

"My Daiquirí at the Floridita and my Mojito at the Bodeguita" used to say Hemingway. He drank lots of them. During the first seven years in Cuba, he lived in one of the rooms of the Ambos Mundos hotel and was at an equal walking distance of these two bars. A traditional visit of Old Havana, considered as Cultural World Heritage, does not include necessarily a bar tour.
You can have a general idea within an hour, walking between its main four squares: the Cathedral Square, the Arms Square, Saint Francis of Assisi Square and Old Square. But even if you stay ten years, you may be able not to visit all of it.

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PERFECT MOJITO

EL MOJITO PERFECTO/ PERFECT MOJITO

The Mojito, Cuba's signature cocktail, storied and legendary. Havana nights, Hemingway, El Ron de Cuba. But what's a mojito anyway? Examples abound. Is it the rum drink with the dollop of mint served in trendy bars wordwide ? The quality varies; it's even possible to have a terrible mojito in Havana. How do we find the real mojito, el mojito perfecto?


A famous barman, now retired, had a long and illustrious career in the Havana hotel scene. Working and managing in many of the top hotels - the Ingleterra, the Victoria, the Presidente, and others, Ernesto is especially fond of his stint as barman at the Habana Libre. It was here that he honed his techniques in creating cocktails with Cuban rum. When Havana Club was invited to present their rum at the prestigious Unita festival in Italy, they sent him. His attention to detail and presentation put Cuban rum in the spotlight.

At any casa particular in Havana the owners enthused about the rum cocktails, daiquiri, presidente, bandera, and of course the mojito. Knowing all too well the demise of quality, he/she is eager to share his knowledge of the correct formulation.
 recipe:

1. Put 1 ½ tsp sugar in a tall 8oz. glass. Place a generous sprig of mint on top of sugar.
2. Add 1 shot of lime juice and a splash of soda water.
3. Macerate the mint vigorously. This releases the oil in the mint leaves, and begins to dissolve the sugar. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add 1 shot white Cuban rum. Put 2 or 3 ice cubes in the glass. Top up with soda water. Stir again, briefly.
5. Garnish with another sprig of fresh mint. Make it gorgeous.

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Fotos courtesy of Henry Canosa