A classic mojito recipe is just a few simple ingredients: light rum, mint, lime, club soda and a pinch of sugar. On a hot day, that’s the precise combo I want when I’m poolside. When it comes to festive, summer cocktails, I like a margarita as much as the next gal, and I’ll certainly try a sip of rum drinks at a pool party. But if asked to choose my favorite summer refresher to sip under the sun, I’d say a mojito every single time. That’s because this cocktail is fresh and citrusy without being overly sweet.
The good news is that you don’t need to be at some tropical resort or fantastic tiki bar to get the perfect mojito. Learning how to make a mojito at home is pretty simple—and it’s a great way to use up that mint from your indoor herb garden.
Mojito Ingredients
- Limes: Fresh lime juice sings with tart, refreshing citrus. Always use fresh fruit in a mojito recipe.
- Sugar: The lime juice does a pretty good job of dissolving the sugar, but feel free to use a liquid sweetener like simple syrup or agave nectar.
- Mint: Whether it’s grown from your garden or bought from the store, run the mint under cool water to remove any bugs or dirt, and promptly pat it dry (gently!) with a paper towel or a clean dish towel.
- Rum: Use your favorite white rum here. If you’re unsure, a classic rum brand for mojitos is Bacardi.
- Club soda: You can swap out the club soda for tonic water, but know that your mojito may be a bit more bitter.
Directions
Step 1: Grab your muddler
The first step to a good mojito is muddling. Muddling is just mashing ingredients in the bottom of a cocktail glass to help release their flavors.
In the case of this classic mojito recipe, you start by squeezing the juice from two lime wedges into the bottom of a highball glass (though your favorite cocktail glass will do just fine). Add the wedges and 2 teaspoons sugar, and muddle with a cocktail muddler.
Fill the glass with ice.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t have a muddler? A small wooden spoon or the tip of a wooden spoon’s handle will do the job just as well.
Step 2: Press the mint
Next, grab some fresh mint leaves, and either firmly slap the mint or press them with the side of a wooden spoon or muddler. This releases all that refreshing flavor. Arrange the mint so it’s pressed against the sides of the glass.
Editor’s Tip: Be sure to only use the leaves from the mint and not the stems. The stems can be bitter, and that’s not a flavor you want in your mojito.
Step 3: Top It Off
Pour the rum and club soda into the glass. Use a long spoon to give this a quick stir. If desired, finish it off with mint and a lime wedge to garnish.
Editor’s Tip: I think this cocktail is best sipped outside—next to a pool or on the beach is best. It’s a great match for these cold finger foods, too.
Mojito Variations
- Try tequila: An easy way to switch up the mojito formula is to swap out the rum and use tequila instead.
- Swap the citrus: Lime is a great match with mint, but so are lemon, orange and grapefruit.
- Add berries: Boost the fruitiness of this cocktail by adding berries in addition to or instead of lime. We’ve got great recipes for a blackberry mojito and a blueberry mojito. Strawberry or passion fruit mojitos make fun, vibrant summer drinks, too.
- Make it tropical with mango: Want this drink to really take you on a vacation? Try muddling some mango with the lime.
- Or make it tropical with coconut: Try coconut rum in place of light rum. For even more coconut flavor, top with coconut-flavored sparkling water or coconut water.
Can you store a mojito?
Yes, you can store a mojito without the club soda. The club soda will go flat over time and is best added fresh to the cocktail. Store a mojito in an airtight container or a sealed jar in the fridge for a few days, then stir it with a spoon and add the club soda to serve.
Mojito Tips
What type of rum goes into a mojito?
Use a light rum for our mojito recipe. Light rum helps keep the drink—and other tropical drinks like pina coladas—light and refreshing. Golden and dark rums tend to have stronger flavors that are better suited for bolder cocktails or baking (I love these rum-soaked recipes). Also, don’t use spiced rum in a mojito. The spices will overwhelm the fresh citrus and herb flavors.
What’s the difference between a Cuban mojito and an American mojito?
Cuba is the original birthplace of the classic mojito, and local ingredients were used to create this cocktail when it was (allegedly) first invented over 400 years ago. While you can pretty much get most of the ingredients for a mojito anywhere nowadays, a true Cuban mojito uses Cuban mint. This mint variety has notes of citrus that pair especially well with the lime juice in a mojito recipe. American mint is more one-note spearmint, so an American mojito will be more minty.
