At first sip, it doesn't seem like an obvious best-seller.

With five ingredients, three of which must be crushed in the bottom of the glass before mixing even begins, the mojito is an unlikely up-and-coming cocktail.

But in the past year, this Cuban import has popped up on cocktail menus far beyond the expected Latin and Caribbean variety. From the around-the-corner casualness of T.G.I. Friday's to the swanky Sushi Roku of the W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences, the mojito is suddenly a standard offering on signature cocktail menus.

“It's taken off like the Cosmo took off in the late '90s and the margarita took off in the late '80s, and has really become a mainstream drink,” said Matt Durbin, director of partnership and field marketing for T.G.I. Friday's. “I think the mojito is arguably the most impactful drink of the century.”

What is it?

The mojito is a refreshing, sweet drink made of lime, raw sugar or sugarcane juice, white rum, mint and club soda. A lime is dropped into a glass with sugar (or cane juice) and mint leaves, then muddled with a pestle to release the mint's essential oils. Rum is added and everything is stirred, then topped with club soda. It's not exactly the speediest cocktail creation, but with the drink in demand, bartenders are increasingly taking the time.

“There's theater in making it,” said Stacy Schulist, director of marketing for restaurant and catering divisions for Cuba Libre, a Cuban restaurant with locations in Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey. “When you're making it, you're tearing up the mint and you're pouring in all the ingredients and you're shaking it, so you kind of have this energy, and also, it smells fabulous. It really touches all senses.”

Author Ernest Hemingway is often credited for crafting the mojito in the 1940s or '50s, but some say English pirate Richard Drake made a drink similar to the mojito back in the late 1500s. Havana Cafe in Phoenix uses Hemingway's recipe because it's heavy on the sugar, noting that drinks in Latin America, Cuba and Brazil tend to be sweet.

“Our mojito is very smooth, is sweet and has a good flavor because we use fresh lime juice and fresh mint,” owner B.J. Hernandez said.

Why is it so cool?

The mojito is selling better these days because it's made with fresh ingredients, it's light enough to suit most tastes and it's handcrafted—three trends popular in the cocktail world.

 “If you look at our specialty-drink list from 10 years ago and you look at it now, there are a lot of cocktails that take building,” said Tom Cardenas, vice president of operations at Innovative Dining Group, which includes several Los Angeles restaurants such as Sushi Roku. “Cocktails are just going in that direction.”

In addition to classic mojitos, Sushi Roku has an exotic ginger-lychee mojito on the menu, which includes ginger syrup and lychee fruit, an Asian twist on the Latin American classic that the restaurant added specifically to tap into the drink's growing popularity.

And although the cocktail itself isn't necessarily more healthful than premade mixed drinks, its presentation and use of fresh items is appealing to people who are on a health kick, Cardenas said.

Jeremy Merrin, owner of the three Havana Central restaurants in New York City, agrees that handmade drinks are steadily increasing in popularity.

 “I think probably the most important influence is using fresh ingredients, whereas in the past, that hasn't been that popular,” Merrin said. “I think that certainly, now that people are using limes and mint and other stuff, customers are becoming more demanding on having that fresh taste.”

What's next?

Mojito-making classes are popping up in places like Havana Cafe, and Web sites such as mojitocompany.com provide all the tools for non-bar-savvy people to concoct their own.

Industry experts say to expect mojitos to remain popular, but the recipes may be changed to suit the type of restaurant or to give guests more variety.

Many restaurants offer fruit-flavored mojitos, such as the tropical-berry mojito shaker at T.G.I. Friday's, while some replace the mint with basil or thyme. And with different-flavored rums on the market, mojito possibilities are endless.

Mojitos also seem to be spurring some trends of their own: Cardenas predicts a resurgence of old-school, handcrafted cocktails, while Merrin said he expects drinks with premium rums and rum in general to gain momentum.

But it's not about popularity or trendiness for most fans of this classic cocktail.

“The reason I like to have one is it brings you to a Cuban mind-set,” Hernandez said. “It's a relaxing drink, you sip it, and it gets you in the mood for forgetting your day and starting your evening to have fun with your friends.”