Mojito

A Cuban highball of white rum, fresh lime, mint and soda water: light, tangy, herbal and gently sweet.

12.1% ABV
Built in the glass
2 min
Highball glass
refreshing
minty
citrusy
sweet
IBA official cocktail · Contemporary Classics

about 1 standard drink (US, 14 g of alcohol). Estimated after dilution with ice.

Ingredients

6 sprigsFresh mintSix sprigs. Use the leaves and keep thick, woody stems out of the glass.
2 teaspoonsWhite sugarAbout 2 teaspoons, or about 13 ml of 1:1 sugar syrup (equal weights of sugar and water).
¾ ozFresh lime juice
1½ ozWhite rum
Top up withSoda waterTop up to taste, about 60 ml.

Ice: Crushed ice · Garnish: fresh mint, lime

Method

Pick the leaves from six mint sprigs and place them in a highball glass with the sugar and the lime juice. Muddle gently to release the mint oils without shredding the leaves.
Add a splash of soda water and stir briefly to dissolve the sugar.
Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour in the white rum.
Top with soda water and stir gently from the bottom to lift the mint through the drink.
Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a lime slice, and serve with a straw.

Want it without alcohol? Try the alcohol-free version: Virgin Mojito

Tips

Press the mint lightly. Crushing it hard releases bitter, grassy flavors.
Adjust the sweetness to your limes: use a little more sugar or syrup if the fruit is very tart.
To replace the 2 teaspoons of sugar (about 8 g), use about 13 ml of 1:1 sugar syrup (equal weights of sugar and water), then adjust to taste.

Swaps

Missing something? These swaps change the taste a little but keep the drink balanced.

White sugar → Simple syrup or Cane sugar syrup or Demerara syrup or Brown sugar
White rum → White rhum agricole

History

The Mojito is a Cuban drink closely tied to Havana. Its exact origin is disputed, and several stories trace it to older rum, lime and sugar drinks. It spread worldwide in the 20th century and is listed by the IBA as a contemporary classic.