Eben Freeman reinvents the Mojito

Last week Eben Freeman, currently New York’s most acclaimed mixologist, reinvented the Mojito for the delectation of a select crowd of dedicated drinkers in London. It was at the invitation of Bacardi Rum, who is celebrating its 146th anniversary, and used the occasion as an opportunity to alert us to its role in the conception of the Mojito cocktail – yes it was news to us that it was thanks to Bacardi that we regularly sip on rum mint and lime, but we are very grateful.

To see the master mixologist at work was eye-opening. A tad weary, dare we say it, of molecular meddling in our meals, it was curiosity that drove us to witness what molecular mixology at the hands of such an authority might entail, and, of course, the question of how you could possibly improve on a Mojito.

Eben Freeman has been mixing it up in a molecular sort of fashion since first working with the cutting edge chef, Sam Mason, who manned the sweet-side of the kitchen at Manahattan’s wd-50 before setting up his own place, Tailors, on Broome Street, Soho, last year.

A degree in drama and a passion for liquid invention makes Freeman a charismatic presence behind the bar and at Tailors he has not so much as a bar as a prominently placed booth. His repertoire includes the likes of Violet Fizz (a frothy mix of gin, citrus, cream, egg whites and violet liqueur), the Waylon (Jack and cherrywood-smoked Coke), and the Crumble, made with brown butter rum (achieved by using a ‘fat-washing’ technique he took from one of Mason’s dessert preparations – he takes the flavour from browned butter by infusing it with rum, leaving it to cool, and after a few days skimming off the coagulated fat element to leave flavoured rum).

Freeman's reinvention of the Mojito proved to be the full-on lab-experiment experience, with goggles and liquid nitrogen. The mint and lime elements were frozen into pea-sized balls, formed by dribbling gelatinised liquid versions of the flavours (the fresh mint was blanched and puréed) into a trough of steaming liquid nitrogen. These were then suspended in a Bacardi rum and soda mix that had been imperceptibly thickened with xanthan gum in order to hold the green and white balls aloft. This, we were advised, was a cocktail made to knock back – so the initial sensation is a hit of rum, and then as the mint and lime balls are crushed against the palate the traditional flavours blend in.

The main hit though was actually the visual impact of the drink, which is quite stunning. Whether you can beat the gentle diffusion of fresh mint and lime through rum and soda sipped through a straw is still debatable. But the theatre of Freeman’s craft is undeniably good. And the experiment he brings to the bar is invaluable in advancing and evolving the way we savour spirits.