Classic Mojito Recipe | co*cktail Society (2024)

By Timo Torner/ Last updated on August 2, 2023

The Mojito co*cktail is a perfect summer drink and a crowd favorite. It's light and refreshing with a beautiful balance of fresh, sour, and sweet.

The Mojito is one of the most famous rum co*cktails today. The simple recipe with the memorable name has a long history and is known by people in every corner of the world.

Quick Facts Mojito co*cktail

• Method:shaken
• Flavor profile:fresh, minty, slightly sweet and sour
• How to serve it:over (crushed) ice
• Best glassware:highball glass
• Alcohol content:~ 10 to 15%, 19 grams of alcohol per serving

Despite the original recipe being so simple, many versions you get are quite a poor take on it. They don't use enough mint leaves or sugar syrup instead of granulated brown sugar and just don't give the Mojito the love it deserves. So, this Cuban co*cktail needs a little attention to detail, and we show you how it's done:

The Ingredients of a Great Mojito

For making a fantastic Mojito, it is essential to use quality ingredients. So here's what you need:

• White Rum: Generally, any white Rum works. Yet, we like to stick to Cuban Rum - because it's the original and they have some fantastic products: Bacardi Silver Rum works well, but my preferred choice is Havana Club 3 Years (Cuban version). -Btw., if you want to skip the alcohol, check out thisVirgin Mojito co*cktail.
• Fresh mint: Mint is the secret star of this co*cktail. You muddle most leaves and use some for garnish. Use plenty because you want that minty kick with every sip of your Mojito.
• Fresh lime juice: Don't use the bottled version. Squeeze some fresh limes to bring that beautiful tartness to your drink.
• Sugar: Now to one of the most crucial parts. Don't use regular white or brown sugar, don't use superfine sugar, and also don't use simple syrup when you want to mix up a classic Mojito. Stick to proper cane sugar like it's standard in Cuba. Read on to learn why.
• Club soda or sparkling water: Always use highly carbonated soda that's properly chilled. Otherwise, it will melt the ice too quickly, and the drink will fall flat.

Pro Tip 1: Sugar or Simple Syrup?

As mentioned,simple syrupdoes not belong in a classic Mojito co*cktail. It might be okay to substitute sugar with syrup for many other co*cktails. But not here because this drink needs the flavor and the texture of actual sugar.

Further, be picky regarding which sugar you use. That means no regular white or brown sugar and definitely not superfine or powdered sugar.

The best option is granulated cane sugar.That, by the way, is the original ingredient to many Latin American Rum co*cktails. It adds the caramelly, rich flavor an amazing Mojito needs.

If you want to get something special, try Demerara or Turbinado. Those two are less refined and add plenty of flavor to your Mojito co*cktail.

Pro Tip 2: The Mint

Mint is the secret star of every Mojito. Slap it gently before prepping the co*cktail to release its essential oils. Also, these two varieties work best:

• Mojito mint (left):It's your best option and seems the obvious choice but is so often disregarded. It is mild in flavor with a hint of citrus. For a long time, this mint variety was impossible to get outside Cuba, but that changed a little over ten years ago. Now, you can find Mojito mint in all parts of the world.
• Spearmint (right):Spearmint has a pretty intense mint flavor, but comparing it to peppermint, it tastes less like toothpaste and candy canes. -Pineapple Spearmint works even better.

Best Practices for Mixing

Now, you need ice, a Highball glass, aco*cktail shaker, and a juicer. Also, press and roll the limes before juicing them. That softens the flesh and makes your life a lot easier when squeezing them.

Add Mojito mint, lime juice, and cane sugar into a co*cktail shaker. Gently muddle to dissolve the sugar and release the flavor of the mint but do not rip the leaves into tiny pieces.

Fill the Highball glass with crushed ice or ice cubes and add additional mint leaves (slap them before using them for an intense aroma). Remember not to use crushed ice for shaking, though, as this will water your Mojito down too much.

Variations

There are plenty of Mojito variations out there worth trying - some more basic, some more adventurous. Most have one thing in common: they add fruit. Four of our favorites of these fruity twists are:

• The Cranberry Mojito
• The Watermelon Mojito
• The Grilled Pineapple Mojito
• The Blueberry Mojito

Origin

There are many stories and anecdotes of how the Mojito came to live, some involving Sir Francis Drake, others American Indians, and others again think it was slaves who first mixed a similar concoction.

All these tales have in common that they tie the drink to Cuba. The recipe, as we know it today, probably goes back to the mid-1800s. Check out our article on thehistory of the Mojito co*cktailto get all the details.

Related co*cktails

For more minty co*cktail delights, try some of these recipes:

• Old Cuban co*cktail
• Queen's Park Swizzle
• Stinger co*cktail
• Moscow Mule