Mint

Mint is an increasingly common ingredient in several different cocktails, the Mojito and Mint Julep perhaps being the most well known.

Mentha

In the plant kingdom, the genus for mint is "Mentha", with perhaps 24 known and accepted sub-species. Mint, as one species or another, is a native plant almost throughout the world. It is not native in Central or South America, or in mid Africa but it has been introduced to many of these regionsMentha (Plants of the World)</ref> .

The ingredient in mint which provides it's distinctive flavor and aroma is Menthol, which is present in various degrees in all varieties.

Spearmint

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is one of the more common and popular forms of mint, and is popularly used in beverages. The menthol content in spearmint is 0.5%, and it also contains "Carvone" (also found in Caraway and Dill) which has a sweet minty aroma.

There are several sub-cultivars within Spearmint, some of the more popular include:

Kentucky Colonel

sometimes (mis)classified as "Mentha cordifolia", which is simply an alternate (and apparently unaccepted) name for Spearmint.

Apple Mint

Mentha Suaveolens

Banana Mint

Mentha arvensis ‘Banana’

Chocolate Mint

Mentha × Piperita ‘Chocolate Mint’

Watermint

Mentha Aquatica

Lavender Mint

Mentha × Piperita ‘Lavendula’

Slender Mint

Mentha diemenica This dwarf, frost hearty, mint is native to Tasmania in Australia. It looks different from other mints, but can be used in most situations where common mint is called for.

Egyptian Mint

Mentha Niliaca

Pennyroyal Mint

Mentha Pulegium

Horsemint

Mentha Longifolia

Corsican Mint

Mentha Requieni

Eau de Cologne Mint

Mentha x Piperita Citrata

Strawberry Mint

Mentha Spicata Subsp. Citrata ‘Strawberry’

Grapefruit Mint

Mentha x Piperita ‘Grapefruit’

Ginger Mint

Mentha x gracilis

Mojito Mint

Mentha × villosa

Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is a hybrid variety, being a cross between Spearmint and Water Mint. It's menthol content is 40%, far more than spearmint, which provides a stronger (and some will say overpowering) flavor, making it better for usages where a mint flavor needs to be predominate, but not in situations where it needs to play well with others.

Water Mint

Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) appears to have only one claim to fame, in that it is one-half of the lineage of Peppermint.

Yerba Buena

Yerba Buena, which literally means "Good Herb" in Spanish, is a general term that is applied to different herbs in different locales. Almost exclusively it is used to refer to a variety of mint, whichever one grows commonly and wild in that particular region.

Central America

Eau de Cologne mint, is a true mint and can sometimes be referred to as "bergamot mint". It has a strong citrus-like aroma and has a history of being used medicinally as well as culinary usages.

Cuba

Mentha X villosa (aka: "Mentha nemorosa", "Mentha alopecuroides", Large apple mint, foxtail mint, hairy mint, woolly mint, Cuban mint, Mojito mint). While mint does not appear to be native to Cuba, at some time in the past it was introduced and took hold, becoming a popular culinary and medicinal ingredient.

Puerto Rico

Satureja viminea (aka: Bush mint, Jamaican Mint Tree).

Philippines

Mentha Cordifolia (aka: Marsh Mint)

Western United States

Clinopodium douglasii (aka: Satureja douglasii, Micromeria douglasii) is part of the genus Clinopodium, which is loosely related to Mentha, and has a menthol content which allows it to be a "local" substitute for mint in teas and some cooking applications.