You may have heard that American writer Ernest Hemingway drank his way around much of the world, but when he lived and wrote in Havana, Cuba, the Mojito was his drink of choice and his favourite watering hole was the humble little boite, La Bodeguita del Medio (the little shop in the middle). Nowadays, La BdelM as it’s known for short, is an almost-obligatory stop-over for either Hemingway fans, visiting artists and writers, and of course, curious tourists from all over the globe.
The day I stopped by recently, I had to push my way past a swaying throng of Spanish tourists singing over the more in-synch voices of local musicians playing their Cuban “sons.” Past the happy tourists, I was able to secure a tall, cool glass of my favourite libation, the Mojito. If you’ve read my past missive on the beverage, you’ll know the cocktail has a dubious and exotic history (pirates and swashbucklers make a requisite appearance). Whatever the reality behind the lore, one thing is certain- a well prepared Mojito should not taste like a peppermint patty, nor should you be picking bits of mint from your teeth like so many lawn-mowed blades of grass (yes, I’ve sampled both unfortunate and lack-lustre versions).
