Classic Mojito

Here’s how to make a classic Mojito recipe! Mix up the original with just a few ingredients: lime juice, sugar, club soda, and rum.

It’s minty fresh, zingy and bubbly, and simple to whip up with just a handful of ingredients. Here’s how to make one of the most popular rum cocktails of all time: the Mojito!

In all honesty, there are a handful of classic cocktails that I keep coming back to, even after tasting hundreds of cocktail recipes. This one is in my top 3 best drinks of all time (along with my classic Margarita recipe, of course). The harmony between the boozy rum, zingy lime, herbaceous mint, and sparkling bubbles is legendary.

Ingredients You’ll Need For a Mojito

The mojito is a classic sour cocktail that originated in Havana, Cuba and has become one of the world’s most popular rum drinks. Some people think its origins go back to the 1580’s with a drink called the Draque named after Sir Francis Drake. Others say it was in the mid-1800’s when the Bacardi rum company created a spin on the Draque using rum, or after Americans brought the Mint Julep to Cuba and it inspired a rum variation.

Either way, the Mojito’s place as an iconic Cuban cocktail solidified in the 1930’s when Ernest Hemingway helped to make the drink popular. The Mojito ingredients you need include:

• Fresh mint: This is a non-negotiable: fresh mint leaves are key for that classic mojito flavor!
• Lime juice: Always use fresh lime juice: never bottled!
• White rum: Any type of mid-priced white rum works. Avoid aged or dark rum: the flavor notes will overwhelm the delicate mint and it turns the drink dark.
• Granulated sugar: While most cocktails require simple syrup, this drink uses straight up sugar.
• Sparkling water or club soda: The refreshing bubbles are what make the mojito so irresistible.

How To Make a Mojito

The Mojito is simple to make if you’ve got a handful of mint and a fresh lime! For this drink, you’ll need a cocktail muddler, which is used to mash the mint with the lime juice and sugar. Fortunately, this drink can be made right in the glass: there’s no need for a cocktail shaker! (This is extremely handy: it makes it easy to make a drink and less mess.) Here’s how to make a Mojito:

1. Cut 1 lime into wedges.
2. In a medium-sized lowball glass or highball, add 6 mint leaves, lime wedges, and 2 tablespoons sugar, adding ½ lime at a a time. Muddle until lime juice is released and mint is fragrant.
3. Add 2 ounces rum and swirl. Add a handful of ice and top with 2 ounces club soda. Stir once or twice to incorporate and garnish with additional mint and lime wedges.

Adjusting the Sweetness To Taste

This Mojito tastes sweet and balanced with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, which is 6 sugar cubes. But if you prefer a more tart drink, start with 1 ½ tablespoons sugar. Make sure to stir a few times so that the sugar incorporates into the drink.

You can also use simple syrup for a Mojito! Use 1 ½ ounces simple syrup, which equates to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Best Ice For a Mojito: Crushed vs Cubes

One last thing about this Mojito recipe before we get to that recipe! Many purists argue over the right ice to use in this classic drink: crushed ice or cubed. In our research, we’ve found this: crushed ice melts faster. So if sparkling water is added as part of a drink, you should use ice cubes, not crushed ice that might water it down more.

Using that theory: since soda water (aka club soda) is part of the Mojito, you should use ice cubes and not crushed ice! Now you know. Of course as with any cocktail “rule”, you can break it at any time.

Make a Pitcher for a Crowd

It’s simple to whip up a classic Mojito in the glass. But if you’re having a party, how do you make enough drinks for the crowd? Try a Mojito pitcher! This way you don’t have to muddle mint every time (though you can, if you’d like!).

The pitcher variation use mint syrup instead! Make a quick mint simple syrup, which infuses herbaceous fresh flavor into each drink. Go to this Mojito Pitcher Recipe.

Mojito Recipe Variations

Want a few variations on the classic Mojito? Here are a few different Mojito variations to try:

• Frozen Mojito: A blender variation on the standard! It’s icy and refreshing.
• Virgin Mojito: This mocktail variation has all the minty flavor of the original without the rum: perfect for people avoiding alcohol or kids!
• Strawberry Mojito: The sweet tart flavor of ripe fresh strawberries only improves this classic.
• Watermelon Mojito: Why not try a summery melon-based spin?
• Pineapple Mojito: Add tropical pineapple to the mix, and the sweet tart fruit balances the tangy lime and sweet cooling mint.
• Coconut Mojito: Cream of coconut and coconut rum come together to make a smooth flavor and delightful frothy topping.
• Blueberry Mojito: This spin on the classic is minty fresh, with a hit of tangy sweet berries on the finish.
• Raspberry Mojito: Sweet berries pair perfectly with refreshing mint and refreshing bubbles.
• Blackberry Mojito: It’s tangy and sweet tart, with just the right ripe berry nuance.
• Mango Mojito: Adding mango nectar makes this drink sweet tart, tropical, and irresistibly refreshing.
• Peach Mojito: The juicy flavor of ripe summer fruit pairs with hints of fresh mint, zingy lime, and white rum.
• Limoncello Mojito: Limoncello liqueur makes a zingy Mojito with a pure lemon flavor.

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Classic Mojito

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Here’s how to make a classic Mojito recipe! Mix up the original with just a few ingredients: lime juice, sugar, soda water, and rum.

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 drink 1x
• Category: Drink
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: Cocktail
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 6 mint leaves, plus additional for garnish
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, plus additional for garnish
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons* granulated sugar (6 sugar cubes or 1 ½ ounces simple syrup)
• 2 ounces** white rum
• 2 ounces soda water

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized lowball glass or highball, add the mint, lime, and sugar, adding ½ lime at a a time. Muddle until lime juice is released and mint is fragrant.
2. Add the rum and swirl. Add a handful of ice cubes and top with the soda water. Stir once or twice to incorporate and garnish with additional mint and lime wedges.

Notes

*For a balanced drink, use 2 tablespoons; for a less sweet drink, use 1 ½ tablespoons.

**To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.

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