IBA
Mojito – IBA
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 13.6% ABV ∙
The Mojito IBA is the official build of Cuban white rum, lime juice, muddled mint, sugar and soda water, served long over ice. Ice keeps it brisk and effervescent, with a bruised-herb aroma rising through a tart, lightly sweet finish that stays crisp rather than syrupy.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Mix Fresh mint leaves 6 pcsSugar cube 2 pcs and Lime juice 20 ml
- Add splash of Soda water and fill the glass with ice
- Pour White rum 45 ml and top with Soda water
- Light stir to involve all ingredients
- Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wheel
Tips
- Stir lightly at the end — just enough to involve the layers, not so much that it beats the soda water flat.
- Bruise the mint against the sugar and lime rather than pounding it, so the oils release without turning bitter.
- Pre-chill the glass before building so the ice does not melt fast and dilute the drink.
History
The "IBA" designation marks this as the International Bartenders Association's official specification of the Mojito, part of its Contemporary Classics category on the IBA's official cocktail list. The IBA, a federation of national bartenders' associations, began compiling an official cocktail list in 1960, with the first approved edition of 50 recipes adopted in 1961 at the Gausdal Mountain Hotel in Norway; the list has since been periodically revised, and the Mojito's inclusion standardizes proportions and method so that bartenders worldwide pour a consistent version regardless of house recipe.
The Mojito itself is a Cuban highball traditionally traced to Havana, though its exact origin and inventor are disputed. A popular story credits La Bodeguita del Medio, but that bar did not open until 1942 and only took its current name in 1950, making it an unlikely birthplace for a drink some trace to earlier Cuban rum-and-mint traditions. The IBA specification does not resolve this dispute; it simply codifies a standard build of the same Cuban rum, lime, mint, sugar, and soda highball known as the Mojito.
FAQ
How do you make a Mojito IBA?
Pre-chill a highball glass, then mix fresh mint leaves, sugar cubes, and lime juice in the bottom. Add a splash of soda water and fill with ice, pour in the white rum, top with more soda water, and stir lightly to combine. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wheel.
What is IBA Mojito?
It is the official International Bartenders Association build of the Mojito, muddling mint and sugar with lime juice before adding rum and soda over ice in a highball glass. The IBA recipe standardizes this classic Cuban highball so bartenders worldwide make it to the same specification.
What does IBA stand for in cocktails?
IBA stands for the International Bartenders Association, the body that maintains an official list of specified classic cocktail recipes. Its recipes, including this Mojito, set a standard build and ingredient list that bars and competitions worldwide reference.
What is the classic Mojito recipe?
The classic Mojito is built over ice in a tall glass, muddling fresh mint with sugar and lime juice before pouring in the rum and topping with soda water. This IBA recipe follows that same structure, finishing with a light stir and a mint and lime garnish.
What is the secret to a good Mojito?
The secret is restraint with the mint: bruise the leaves gently rather than pulverizing them, since over-muddling releases bitter, grassy compounds. Fresh lime juice and a light final stir that keeps the soda water lively also make the difference between a bright Mojito and a flat, dull one.
What are common Mojito mistakes?
The most common mistake is over-muddling the mint, which turns the drink bitter and grassy instead of fresh. Other frequent errors are using bottled lime juice instead of fresh, stirring too hard and knocking the fizz out of the soda water, or skipping the pre-chilled glass so the ice melts too quickly and waters the drink down.
