In my last post, I talked about arriving in Tampa and boarding the cruise on the first day. On day two, we stopped in Key West, Florida for some sightseeing. This ended up being the only port where all eight members of our party did an excursion together.
Old Town Trolley Tour of Key West
We all signed up for the Old Town Trolley Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour, and this was one of the few times I found the cruise-sponsored prices to be cheaper than booking directly through the website. I don’t know why, but I didn’t question it; I just whipped out my card and booked it.
This ended up being the perfect tour for all the members of our party. It was a 90 minute tour of the entire island, with stops at some of the most famous locations and PLENTY of facts and trivia. Even TJ enjoyed following along with the trolley driver and tour guide as he pointed out each of the 15 stops on the map.
Key West First Legal Rum Distillery
After the trolley tour, my bestie Lola and I set out on foot to find the Key West First Legal Rum Distillery. As soon as we arrived there, they announced they would be conducting a FREE Cuban Mojito Making Class! I mean, how could we turn down free? And while we waited for the class to begin, we each tried a sample of one of their signature rums, called “Bad Bitch”. All I can say is… WOW! I would definitely suggest trying it if you are visiting the distillery.
As the class started, they talked about how they took a schooner from Key West to Havana, Cuba to share their famous rum and learn firsthand how to make an authentic Cuban mojito. They shadowed at La Bodeguita del Medio, where Ernest Hemingway was known to frequent while he resided in Cuba.
How to Make an Authentic Cuban Mojito
This recipe starts with white sugar instead of simple syrup. The Cuban bartenders stated when you muddle the sugar crystals against the mint, the molecules will break apart and release more of the essential oils from the mint. Plus, a mojito is not meant to be super sweet, so the sugar is mostly there to balance out the mint and lime.
Next, the Cuban bartenders used a squeeze bottle with lime juice instead of fresh pieces of lime, because if you muddle the rind of the lime too much, you could make the mojito too bitter.
When adding the mint, Cuban bartenders do not pluck the leaves from the stem; they put the entire sprig of mint into the glass so that all the extra flavor from the stem gets incorporated into the drink.
Cuban Mojito Recipe
AuthorstephthorneDifficultyBeginnerAdd 2 bar spoons of sugar to the bottom of a Collins glass. Then pour 1.5 ounces of fresh lime juice to the glass. Add the entire sprig of spearmint to the glass.
Muddle the spearmint 20 times by pressing the spearmint into the bottom of the glass and twisting.
Fill the glass with ice, then pour sparkling water or club soda to just below the top of the glass (approximately 4 ounces).
Stir with the bar spoon to desired taste.
Ingredients
Directions
Add 2 bar spoons of sugar to the bottom of a Collins glass. Then pour 1.5 ounces of fresh lime juice to the glass. Add the entire sprig of spearmint to the glass.
Muddle the spearmint 20 times by pressing the spearmint into the bottom of the glass and twisting.
Fill the glass with ice, then pour sparkling water or club soda to just below the top of the glass (approximately 4 ounces).
Stir with the bar spoon to desired taste.
Have you ever been to Key West? And do you like mojitos?
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Check out the other posts in the Flirty 30 Vacation Series:
Coming up next:
- Swimming with Dolphins in Cozumel
- Butts Up Cave Tubing in Belize
- Chaccohben Mayan Ruins in Costa Maya
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