Cocktails · Rum

Mojito RecipeHow to Make a Classic Mojito (and a Virgin Mojito That Tastes Just as Good)

How to make a mojito with the right rum, fresh mint, lime and soda, plus strawberry, blackberry, mango and pineapple mojitos, each with a virgin version.

October 4, 20264 min read5 drinks ⇄ 5 twins ↓

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A mojito is white rum, fresh lime juice, sugar, mint and soda water over crushed ice. Gently press the mint with the sugar and lime, add the rum and ice, top with soda and stir once. For a virgin mojito, leave out the rum and add a splash more soda.

This mojito recipe covers the classic and four fruit variations (strawberry, blackberry, mango and pineapple), with tips on muddling, ice and mint. Every card has a virgin mojito twin that keeps the lime, mint and fizz, so it tastes like a real drink and not a limeade.

What Is in a Mojito?

A mojito has just five ingredients, so each one matters: white rum, fresh lime juice, sugar or simple syrup, fresh mint and soda water. You also need a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon), a jigger and a tall glass.

Overhead view of white rum, mint, limes, sugar, club soda, a muddler and a jigger on white marble. — Fig. 06White rum, mint, limes, sugar and soda: that's the whole shopping list.

Spearmint is the classic mojito mint: sweet and mild, not sharp like peppermint. If you can only find one kind, look for the label “spearmint” or “hierbabuena”.

Spearmint sprigs standing in a glass of water on a windowsill beside a bowl of limes. — Fig. 10Spearmint is the classic mojito mint: sweet and mild, not sharp like peppermint.

How to Make a Mojito, Step by Step

The Classic Mojito card below is the one to learn. The variations all start from it.

A mojito in a tall glass with crushed ice, lime and mint. — Fig. 01The Classic Mojito: 2 oz white rum, 1 oz lime, ½ oz simple syrup, mint and soda.

· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballBuilt4 minMedium · 13%

HighballBuilt4 minZero-proof · 0.0%

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice and syrup to a tall glass and press gently with a muddler.
2Add the rum and fill the glass with crushed ice. Stir from the bottom up.
3Top with club soda, add more ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice, syrup and salt to a tall glass and press gently with a muddler.
2Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir from the bottom up.
3Top with club soda, add more ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

How the swap works
More soda replaces the rum's volume, a little extra syrup balances the lime and a pinch of salt gives the drink the roundness alcohol would.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · Zero-proof twin · · 1 oz = 30 ml

Add the mint, lime juice and syrup to a tall glass and muddle gently, just enough to bruise the mint.
Add the rum and fill the glass with crushed ice.
Stir from the bottom up to mix and chill.
Top with soda water, add more ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

How to Muddle Mint Without Making It Bitter

Mint turns bitter when you crush it. Press the lime and sugar firmly, but press the mint only gently, just enough to release its oils. A good trick is to skip the muddler for the mint entirely: clap a sprig between your hands to wake up its aroma, then drop it in.

A wooden muddler pressing lime wedges and sugar in the bottom of a glass. — Fig. 04Press the lime and sugar firmly and the mint gently: crushed mint turns bitter.

If you do want to muddle, use a wooden muddler, press four or five times and stop. If the leaves are torn into green flakes, you have gone too far, and that is where the bitter taste comes from.

Hands clapping a bunch of mint over a glass to release its aroma. — Fig. 02Clap the mint between your hands to wake up its oils; don't shred it.

The Best White Rum for a Mojito

Choose a clean, light white rum, ideally a Cuban-style one, which is dry and slightly grassy. Avoid very sweet or heavily flavored rums; the sugar in a mojito is already doing that job. A mid-priced bottle is enough: the lime and mint will not hide a bad rum, but they do not need a premium one either.

Crushed Ice: How to Make It at Home

Crushed ice is what makes a mojito cold and slushy, and it dilutes the drink just enough. No ice crusher? Wrap cubes in a clean kitchen towel or a canvas bag and hit them with a rolling pin or a mallet until they are small and uneven.

Hands crushing ice in a canvas bag with a wooden mallet. — Fig. 08No ice crusher? Wrap cubes in a clean towel and hit them with a rolling pin or mallet.

Add the soda last and stir once. The bubbles do not last long, so top just before you serve. The photo below shows the pour.

Club soda being poured into a mojito, with bubbles rising through crushed ice and mint. — Fig. 12Top with soda last and stir once, so the bubbles last.

Mojito Variations: Strawberry, Blackberry, Mango and Pineapple

Fruit mojitos use the same base with a little muddled fruit or fruit nectar. Add the fruit with the mint and use a bit less syrup, since ripe fruit is already sweet.

Strawberry Mojito

Ripe strawberries make this one sweet enough to cut back on sugar. Hull the berries and taste one first.

· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballBuilt5 minMedium · 14%

HighballBuilt5 minZero-proof · 0.0%

Method

1Muddle the strawberries with the lime juice and syrup in a tall glass, then add the mint and press gently.
2Add the rum and crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with a strawberry and mint.

Method

1Muddle the strawberries with the lime juice, syrup and salt in a tall glass, then add the mint and press gently.
2Fill with crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with a strawberry and mint.

How the swap works
Extra soda and a pinch of salt stand in for the rum; ripe strawberries do the sweetening, so the syrup stays low.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · Zero-proof twin · · 1 oz = 30 ml

Blackberry Mojito

A deep purple twist that looks as good as it tastes. The blackberries bring a little tartness, so it is less sweet than the strawberry one.

· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballBuilt5 minMedium · 13%

HighballBuilt5 minZero-proof · 0.0%

Method

1Muddle the blackberries with the lime juice and syrup, then add the mint and press gently.
2Add the rum and crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with blackberries and mint.

Method

1Muddle the blackberries with the lime juice, syrup and salt, then add the mint and press gently.
2Fill with crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish.

How the swap works
Blackberries are tart, so a little more syrup keeps the drink balanced without the rum.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · Zero-proof twin · · 1 oz = 30 ml

Mango Mojito

Mango nectar softens the lime and adds a tropical edge. Use ripe mango purée if you can find it.

· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballBuilt4 minMedium · 11%

HighballBuilt4 minZero-proof · 0.0%

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice and mango nectar to a tall glass and press the mint gently.
2Add the rum and crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with mango and mint.

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice, mango nectar and salt to a tall glass and press the mint gently.
2Fill with crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with mango and mint.

How the swap works
Mango nectar is sweet enough that no syrup is needed; the extra lime and salt keep it from tasting like juice.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · Zero-proof twin · · 1 oz = 30 ml

Pineapple Mojito

Juicy pineapple is both the sweet and the sour. It is good with a pinch of salt and a slice of jalapeño if you like heat.

· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballBuilt4 minMedium · 10%

HighballBuilt4 minZero-proof · 0.0%

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice, pineapple juice and syrup to a tall glass and press the mint gently.
2Add the rum and crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with pineapple.

Method

1Add the mint, lime juice, pineapple juice and salt to a tall glass and press the mint gently.
2Fill with crushed ice and stir.
3Top with club soda and garnish with pineapple.

How the swap works
Pineapple already carries the sugar and acid, so the zero-proof drink only needs more soda and salt.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · Zero-proof twin · · 1 oz = 30 ml

Virgin Mojito: How to Make It Taste Like the Real Thing

A virgin mojito is the easiest mocktail to get right, because rum is only a small part of the drink. Keep the same lime, mint and syrup, add a little extra soda in place of the rum’s volume and finish with a pinch of salt, which makes the flavors taste rounder and fuller. A drop or two of non-alcoholic bitters adds the depth a spirit usually brings.

A mojito and a virgin mojito side by side in matching glasses. — Fig. 11The virgin mojito keeps everything but the rum, with a splash more soda and a pinch of salt.

The full list of stand-ins is in the guide to how to make mocktails. For more mojito-style drinks, try the mocktail recipes, pitcher cocktails (including a pitcher mojito for a crowd), fruity cocktails and what a mocktail is.

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Last call

Questions from the bar

Q1What are the ingredients in a mojito?

A mojito is made with white rum, fresh lime juice, sugar or simple syrup, fresh mint and soda water, served over crushed ice.

Q2What rum is best for a mojito?

A clean, light white rum works best, ideally a dry Cuban-style one. Avoid sweet or spiced rums; a mid-priced bottle is fine.

Pitcher cocktails ↗

Q3How do you make a virgin mojito?

Leave out the rum and keep the lime, sugar, mint and soda. Add a little extra soda and a pinch of salt so the drink tastes full instead of watery.

Mocktail recipes ↗

Q4Do you have to muddle mint for a mojito?

Not strictly. Clap the mint between your hands to release its oils, or press it very gently. Over-muddling tears the leaves and makes the drink bitter.

Q5Why does my mojito taste bitter?

Almost always from over-muddled mint or too much of the white pith of the lime. Press the mint gently and use only the juice, not the pith.

Q6Can you make a mojito without crushed ice?

Yes, but crushed ice is better: it chills the drink faster and gives that classic slushy mojito texture. Wrap cubes in a towel and crush them with a rolling pin.

How to make mocktails ↗

Another round?

Mojito RecipeHow to Make a Classic Mojito (and a Virgin Mojito That Tastes Just as Good)

What Is in a Mojito?

How to Make a Mojito, Step by Step

Classic Mojito

Virgin Mojito

How to Muddle Mint Without Making It Bitter

The Best White Rum for a Mojito

Crushed Ice: How to Make It at Home