A Twist on the Mojito Mulato
I have written over 40 cigar and rum pairings for “Got Rum?” and haven’t yet done one with a cocktail that visitors to Cuba are guaranteed to try, and I’m not talking about the Cuba Libre. I am, of course, referring to the Mojito. One does not have to be an expert in cigar and rum pairings to realize that citric, herbal notes, like those in the classic mojito, simply do not go well with cigars, most of the time, despite the plethora of tourists attempting to do just that.
In order to make the pairing work, I will do now what I’ve done in previous articles: I will modify slightly the cocktail recipe to achieve a better-balanced mojito that will be easier to pair with a cigar. This is the recipe after my modifications:
• 3 oz. Ron Santero Añejo 11 Years
• ½ oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbs Granulated Sugar
• Mint or Spearmint (Yerbabuena or Hierbabuena in Spanish)
• Tonic Water (instead of Club Soda)
• 2 Slices of Ginger
• 2 Splashes of Angostura Bitters
At first glance, this looks like a Mojito Mulata made with 11 Year Old Ron Santero Añejo (a rum made by Tecnoazúcar, distilled and bottled at the Nauyú distillery), a very logical choice when thinking about the pairing. I further modified the recipe to add new flavors and to modify the balance, more in favor of bitter and herbal/spiced notes, which work better than the original mojito. I also reduced the concentration of lemon juice, to prevent the acid from being the dominant dimension of the cocktail. I also increased the aged rum volume to 3 ounces.
As far as mixing techniques, we will be creating the cocktail directly in the serving glass, so
we will not be needing any special tools. The first thing to do is to add a tablespoon of granulated sugar into the glass (in Cuba it is not very common to use simple syrup). Add the mint or spearmint facing down, you only need a couple of sprigs, then proceed to add ½ ounce of lime juice. In this case, do not bruise/muddle the mint with the rest of the ingredients, simply stir them until the sugar is dissolved. Add the 3 ounces of rum, fill the glass with large ice cubes, add the two slices of ginger, followed by the tonic water and ending with the dashes of bitters. As you can see, the recipe is quite simple, but you must be careful to adjust the quantity of each ingredient, depending on the shape of your glass, such that the rum itself is the leading ingredient in the cocktail, rather than the other components. Why do I say this? Because for our pairing we are not necessarily looking to recreate a classic Mojito, instead we are attempting to create a modified Mojito that will be better suited for a cigar pairing.
When thinking about a pairing with a Mojito, one could gravitate immediately towards an “Habano”, but to be more original, for this pairing I decided to select a cigar from the Dominican Republic. I selected a cigar I have used before in another pairing, the Rothschild from Arturo Fuente from the Gran Reserva line (50 x 4 ½”), this cigar features a wrapper from Ecuador, Connecticut binder and Cameroon filler. This blend of tobaccos should come across with a medium body and a smoking time that should not go beyond the 25 minute mark, ideal for a pairing with a cocktail.
Much to my surprise, despite the fact that I made the cocktail strong (heavy on the rum), the true Mojito spirit still came across, but rather than being an obstacle, the nature of the cocktail worked better and better in the pairing as the time progressed. Why did this happen?I think that by building the cocktail directly in the serving glass, I did not mix it too much, leaving more rum at the bot tom and more of the tonic water on top. In hindsight, using the tonic water was not that critical and the cocktail should work just as well reverting to Club Soda from the classic recipe.
I also recommend this cocktail to those who are not fans of the traditional Mojito (or fans of very citric cocktails altogether). But for those looking for a dry and bitter cocktail, don’t even think of trying this one: despite the modifications to the recipe, this cocktail would be far beyond their comfort zone.
I hope many of our readers can at tempt this pairing, introducing their own twists to the cocktail. If in Cuba, try the pairing with a Puro or an Habano, which is the natural thing to do there. Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GR CigarPairing
My name is Philip Ili Barake, Sommelier by trade. As a result of working
with selected restaurants and wine producers in Chile, I started developing a passion for distilled spirits and cigars. As part of my most recent job, I had the opportunity to visit many Central American countries, as well as, rum distilleries and tobacco growers. But my passion for spirits and cigars did not end there; in 2010 I had the honor of representing Chile at the International Cigar Sommelier Competition, where I won first place, becoming the first South American to ever achieve that feat. Now I face the challenge of impressing the readers of “Got Rum?” with what is perhaps the toughest task for a Sommelier : discussing pairings while being well aware that there are as many individual preferences as there are rums and cigars in the world. I believe a pairing is an experience that should not be limited to only two products; it is something that can be incorporated into our lives. I hope to help our readers discover and appreciate the pleasure of trying new things (or experiencing known things in new ways).