When you are lucky enough to be a tourist in Cuba, you drink a Mojito. Marianne’s been to Cuba four times in 3 years and Tom’s been 2 times in 3 years. The Mojito is the muse for our book.

Havana is the birthplace of the Mojito, but the exact origin of this classic cocktail is subject to debate. Most historians believe the Mojito story traces back to the 16th century when Sir Francis Drake sailed towards Havana with a crew sick with scurvy. South American Indians had a remedy for the sailors which later became known as “El Draque.” Ingredients in the curative were a crude form of rum, lime, sugarcane juice and mint. Other historians believe African slaves working in the sugar cane fields during the 19th century were somehow instrumental in the cocktail’s origin.

And what about the Mojito name? One theory holds that mojo, a seasoning with lime used to flavor dishes is the origin. Or the cocktail’s name may have derived from “Mojadito”, the Spanish work for “a little wet.” And then there is the meaning of the word “mojo” which means “to place a little spell.”

The Mojito gets a good amount of attention in the popular culture, and a fun highlight was in a James Bond film, Die Another Day, which features Hally Barry as Jinx and Pierce Bronson as James Bond flirting over a Mojito in Cuba.

A recent survey by an international market research company found that the Mojito is the most popular cocktail in both Britain and France.