Mojito Cocktail

A Mojito is a much-loved Cuban cocktail that’s perfect for when it is hot. This is a completely refreshing drink with mint, lime, and rum you are going to love. You will love how this drink will taste.

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What is a Mojito?

When it comes to Caribbean cocktails, skip the cloying sweet drinks with umbrellas and multiple straws. Instead, mix yourself one of the classiest cocktails around: The Mojito.

With a history stretching back hundreds of years to the age of the legendary explorer Francis Drake, the modern Mojito recipe is a combination of tart fresh juice and sweet simple syrup and brightened with fragrant mint leaves.

A good slug of white rum gives the drink its alcoholic punch.

A Brief History of the Mojito

As is often the case with cocktails, there are various ideas of where and how the cocktail came about, including:
Slaves who worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields made the drink from a simple sugar cane alcohol named Aguardiente de cana which translates as firewater of the sugar cane They gave the drink the name mojito which means to place a little spell.

In the 1500s, Sir Francis Drake arrived in Havana looking for gold. His crew members were debilitated by scurvy and dysentery. Local natives supplied ingredients for an effective tonic; aguardiente de cana, mint leaves, and the juices from sugar cane and limes.

La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba claims to be the birthplace of the mojito and still enjoys the fame that comes from the likely myth that the mojito was Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite cocktail.

What Makes a Mojito So Good 

It isn’t easy to imagine a beverage that is better for sipping poolside in the heat of the summer than a refreshing Mojito.

While mixing a Mojito is only a bit more complex than making a Cuba Libre or a Dark ‘n Stormy, it is much more sophisticated and tasty. 

Mojito Ingredients

If you wonder what is in a mojito, here’s a handy list for this mojito recipe with simple syrup:

To make the simple syrup, you will need:

• Superfine sugar or granulated sugar
• Water

Superfine sugar is ground finer than granulated sugar and speeds up the process of making simple syrup. However, if you can’t find superfine sugar, it is okay to use granulated sugar instead. Don’t use powdered sugar as it contains cornstarch. 

To make a Mojito cocktail, you will need:

• Simple syrup
• Club soda
• White rum
• Mint leaves
• Fresh lime slices

What kind of rum for Mojito? 

Inexpensive white rum is the perfect choice for adding to a Mojito cocktail recipe. Save your premium brands for another day.

You can undoubtedly use what you have on hand, but if you are buying a new bottle specifically for this best Mojito recipe, you won’t go wrong by picking up one of the following brands:

• Bacardi Superior. It’s cheap, and it’s good. There is absolutely no shame in mixing up a Mojito drink with this old standby. In fact, the rum’s mild sweetness and almost floral flavor go incredibly well with lime juice. 
• The Real McCoy 3-Year Old. This aged rum has a bit more going on than Bacardi Superior with its slight buttery caramel flavor and citrus undertones. It is 100 percent sugar-free, and you can find it for just a few dollars more than Bacardi Superior.
• Don Q Rum Cristal. If you are looking for a smooth rum without any bite, Don Q Rum Cristal might be your rum of choice. The manufacturer prides itself on creating a rum with strong vodka vibes and neutral flavors. If you are a vodka drinker, you’ll appreciate this rum. 

Equipment Needed

You will need a few bartending tools to make this mojito recipe:

• Cocktail Muddler
• Cocktail Stirrer Spoon
• Measuring Glass

In a matter of minutes, you’ll have one of the freshest cocktail drinks imaginable. If you don’t have a muddler or know what one is, you can learn about muddlers.

How to Make a Mojito

There are two parts to making an awesome mojito. The first part is to make a thick simple syrup for sweetening the drink. The second part is to make the cocktail by perfectly layering in the flavors for the ultimate mojito.

To make this version of simple syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, combine two cups of sugar and one cup of water. 
2. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir continuously.
3. Dissolve the sugar and allow the syrup to thicken slightly.
4. Remove from the heat and cool entirely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. The simple syrup should last in the refrigerator for up to six months. 

To make the mint mojito drink:

1. Place the mint leaves on the bottom of a mixing glass. Squeeze the juice of one lime wedge into the glass.
2. Crush the mint leaves using a muddler but don’t overdo it.
3. Place the squeezed lime pieces into a separate serving (drinking) glass.
4. Pour the club soda into a measuring glass.

5. Add the rum and simple syrup to the measuring glass.
6. Pour the rum mixture into the mixing glass and stir all the ingredients together.
7. Pour the contents of the mixing glass into the serving glass filled with lime wedges and ice and give it a light stir.
8. Garnish the Mojito with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.

How to Make Mojitos Ahead of Time 

You can make the simple syrup ahead of time, but bruised mint leaves turn black quickly, so it is not a good idea to prepare individual servings ahead of time.

Are you serving a crowd? Read below to find out how to make multiple servings of the best Mojito recipe at once. 

Mojito Variations

The sky is the limit when it comes to riffing on the classic mint Mojito. Here are three simple variations you can try:

• Strawberry Mojito. Follow the general recipe above, but muddle four strawberries and a splash of Creme de Fraise des Bois along with the mint leaves. 
• Darkside Mojito. Use dark rum instead of white rum in the recipe, but don’t use spiced rum. Make the simple syrup with dark brown sugar.
• South-of-the-Border Mojito. Replace the rum with light tequila and use agave syrup instead of simple syrup. 

How to Muddle Fresh Mint 

Muddling is a fancy word for lightly bruising the mint leaves to help release some of the oils into the cocktail. Most people use a muddler, like an OXO SteeL Muddler, but if you don’t have one, you can use the end of the handle-side of a wooden spoon or even the outside bowl of a spoon.

The key is to use light pressure to break up the outer layers of leaves. You don’t want to tear the mint leaves into shreds. 

Tips to Make the Perfect Mojito

• Use a build glass. When you pour alcohol and mixers directly into a glass, you’re building a cocktail.
• Pour the lime juice over the mint when you muddle the lime.
• Don’t muddle the mint too much.
• Use a simple syrup.
• Instead of adding the club soda as a float, put it in the bottom of the mixing glass and pour the other ingredients on top.
• Always slap the mint before adding as a garnish. This releases the mint oils.

How to Make a Whole Pitcher of Mojitos 

You can scale this recipe up to make an entire pitcher of Mojitos:

1. Combine 50 mint leaves and the juice of one lime in a pitcher.
2. Muddle the mint leaves.
3. Add 16 ounces of simple syrup and 16 ounces to the pitcher. Stir to combine.
4. Pour in 16 ounces of club water and stir gently.
5. Prepare each serving glass as above. 

What to Serve with Mojitos

Here are some great snacks to enjoy while sipping on a refreshing Cuban mojito:

• Avocado Fries
• Cheetos Popcorn
• Ranch Pretzels

Enjoy summer cocktails? Try these!

• Berry Sangria
• Blue Hawaiian
• Fuzzy Navel
• Italian Margarita
• Lemon Drop Martini
• Mai Tai Cocktail
• Pain Killer Cocktail
• Rum Punch
• Spiked Kool Aid
• Watermelon Margarita

Check out more of my easy cocktail recipes and the best summer recipes here on CopyKat!