There are several stories surrounding the birth of the mojito. One of the most colorful says the drink was developed in the 1500s when the famed explorer Sir Francis Drake landed in Havana to sack the city of its gold. While the invasion was unsuccessful, an associate of Sir Francis Drake may have created an early version of the mojito called "El Draque."
Another legend has it that the drink was invented by African slaves working in the Cuban sugar cane fields. The name "mojito" stems from the African word of "mojo," which means "to place a little spell."
Either way, the legendary drink of rum, cane sugar, fresh mint leaves, lime, sparkling water and ice was almost certainly born in Cuba and it is without a doubt one of the island’s oldest cocktails.
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