Someone gets it!

So I got a message on my MySpace page from some guy named Andrew, who I am not sure I can be friends with since he says he doesn't really like rum. jk Anyway, he was commenting on my picture and how if you drink too many mojitos you end up just like the girl in my picture. Which is exactly why I picked it. Its an old Cuban Cigar box pin-up girl and I thought the picture was pretty perfect.

Anywho he asked if I had yet had to the pleasure of having a mojito at Cubanitas in downtown Milwaukee. Cubanitas is one of my favorite restaurants although, I admit, I don't get there nearly enough. Anyway, he asked of other places to get mojitos in Milwaukee. Which got me to thinking that I am going to post places in the city where I find a mean mojito. I found this article on the site OnMilwaukee.com, apparently they were reading my mind. They listed some places in the city some I didn't know even knew what a mojito was that serve up some pretty good mojitos. I am thinking that as a slave to my art I might have to start making my rounds of the city to taste some of these mojitos to see if they are really as good as the article says. In case you are in the Milwaukee area and want to find out what a mojito is, check out the list below that I borrowed from the article.

Art Bar, 722 E. Burleigh Ave.
Bacardi Limon, bar syrup, dash of bitters, splash of sour, five (yes, five!) lime wedges and fresh mint leaves are the fixings for Art Bar's signature mojito. It's served in a pint glass and modestly priced at $6. "You need the balance of sweet with the right amount of twang," says Art Bar owner Don Krause.

Bar Lulu, 2261 S. Howell Ave.
Lulu's Paul Kennedy calls himself "Edward Muddlerhands" for a reason. This mojito master claims to have muddled more mojitos than anyone else in Milwaukee. He serves his Cuban concoctions in a pint glass for $6. "We use fresh everything," he says. "I always recommend a light rum. Mojitos made with dark rum look like something cleaned out of a garbage disposal."


Club Havana, 789 N. Jefferson St.>>>Sadly this place isn't around anymore, but it used to be one of my favorite spots to get a great mojito!
At $5 a piece, Club Havana has the cheapest mojito in the city, but bartender Mike Kozimski -- aka "The Happy Hour Guy" -- assures they don't skimp on anything. Havana's mojito features fresh lime, mint leaf, sugar water, Jamaican rum and seltzer. "People have said I make them the best in the city," says Kozminski. Club Havana has an outdoor patio and an open-air porch to further that balmy Cuban feeling.

Cubanita's, 728 N. Milwaukee St.>>>>Where better to get a mojito then a great Cuban restaurant.
It's no surprise that the Cuban mojito is Cubanita's best-selling drink. Aside from the classic, they offer mango, raspberry, strawberry, coconut or orange -- all made with fresh fruit purees. "We make them from scratch and very traditional -- the same way they make them in Havana," says owner Marta Bianchini. "There's a little trick to it, but I can't reveal it." $6.

Elsa's, 833 N Jefferson St.
Elsa's serves a classic mojito, but according to bartender Anton Carter, they'll make a strawberry mojito on the fly. Elsa's recipe calls for ginger ale instead of the usual seltzer or lemon-lime soda. "Muddling really well is the key to a great mojito so everything is perfectly fused together," says Carter. $8.

Hemingway's, 626 S. 6th St.
The mojito is Hemingway's signature drink, and they sell tons of them every night. They mix them with all the usual ingredients -- white rum, sugar syrup, fresh lime juice, mint and a splash of seltzer on top. Hemingway's bartenders say what many have said before: "The key to a good mojito is fresh ingredients."

Osteria del Mondo, 1028 E. Juneau Ave.
Osteria's mojito is similar to Cubanita's (Marc and Marta Bianchini own both ventures) but it is a bit smaller, with 1 1/2 ounces of rum instead of two. The Osteria mojito is always mixed with Appleton rum from Jamaica and costs $6. Salud!

Sol Fire, 2014 N. Farwell Ave.
Like their menu items, Sol Fire's mojitos are all quality, baby. They offer a regular mojito ($6), mango mojito ($6.50) and "El Mojito" made with Bacardi Select for $7. Looks like Sol Fire's patio isn't solely for margarita consumption any more.

Trocadero, 1758 N. Water St.>>>Loved this place already, because I found that they carry my favorite beer, Red Stripe, now I will just have to go back for a Mojito.
Trocadero serves four different mojitos: traditional, mango, pineapple and mango-pineapple made with fresh ingredients and rail rum. Served in a "footed" sangria glass, they run between $7 and $8. "A great mojito has a lot of booze but you can't taste any of it," says server Tim Knope. Trocadero has "Mojito Mondays" with $5 mojitos all day and night.

Wicked Hop, 345 N. Broadway St.
The 12-oz. Wicked Hop mojito is made with the usual fresh ingredients, and includes the sweet detail of being served with a sugar cane. "It's all about the muddling," says one Wicked Hop bartender.

Some other spots offered up by the comments were the following; Swig, Hi-Hat, Moct, and Lazaro's.

Now the one thing that everyone should remember is that not every bartender at every bar can make a good mojito. While I prefer my own made at the bar in my basement, the one's I have had at different bars and restaurants can always be better or worse, depending on the bartender. Don't fault the restaurant for having a bad drink, if its really the baaaaaaaarrrtender! (Sorry had a T-pain moment.) I have loved Mojitos for years and I don't think that will ever stop. If you find a bartender that makes a bad mojito tell them what's wrong with it. It will only make someone else's drink that much better...and I am all for the promotion of intoxication in others.

Anyway, if you are from somewhere other than Milwaukee, where can I get the bomb mojito in your town? I have had what I am certain is the best mojito in America at Cafe Versailles in Little Havana, Miami, FL. Actually the picture of the mojito under the title of my blog was the mojito I drank there 3 years ago. Heaven is all I can say. But I do like to travel, so if I make it to your town, where do I just have to stop to get the best mojito around? Let me know.

Besos!