The combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and mint flavours are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum.

Sounds lovely. And it's a "mooj", "hee", what?
The word is pronounced "mo-hi-to".

Great – now I can order it at the bar. But I might try making it at home first. What's the recipe?
For a simply mojito try this. Start with 1.5oz of white rum, 12 fresh mint leaves, half a lime, 7oz carbonated water and four teaspoons of sugar.

Got it – now what?
Add the lime juice to the sugar and mint leaves. Then gently mash the mixture – you can use a pestle or the back of a spoon. The mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils and must not be shredded. Then add the rum and briefly stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar and to lift the mint sprigs up from the bottom for better presentation.
Finally add ice cubes and sparkling water plus mint leaves and lime wedges to garnish the glass.

Hmm, yummy. Where is this mojito from anyway?
Cuba is the birthplace of the mojito – although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate.
One story traces the drink to the 16th century when the cocktail was known as 'El Draque' in honour of Sir Francis Drake. If this is true the mojito could be the world's first cocktail. It's thought the drink was originally made with tafia – a primitive predecessor of rum – with the other ingredients used to hide the harsh taste.

I think I've cracked that recipe. Any variations?
Whole lime wedges may be mashed in the bottom along with the mint and sugar.
And the sweetness of a mojito can be varied significantly.
Icing sugar, sugar syrup and maple syrup can all be used. Ginger ale can be added along with carbonated water. And some mojitos are made with Angostura bitters to cut the sweetness.
Fruit flavoured vodkas or rums are often substituted, such as mango, strawberry, lychee or mandarin mojitos. While not true to the classic recipe, they are still popular.