Classic Mojito
The mojito is a Cuban highball of white rum, lime juice, sugar, fresh mint (hierbabuena in Cuba) and soda water over ice. The Cuban original is made with granulated sugar; this version uses simple syrup, which needs no dissolving. The mint is pressed only enough to release its oils, so the drink stays fresh and never bitter. Restraint matters at every step: gentle muddling, modest sugar, plenty of ice.
Ingredients
- 60 mlwhite rum
- 30 mlfresh lime juice
- 15 mlsimple syrup
- 10 fresh mint leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
- 90 mlcold club soda or sparkling water
- 1 cupcrushed ice or ice cubes
- 1 lime wedge
1 cup = 240 ml
Method
- Prepare the mint garnish and the glass. Take a fresh mint sprig, place it in one palm and clap your hands together firmly — this bruises the leaves just enough to release their aromatic oils without tearing them. Set the sprig aside and keep the highball glass empty: the ice goes in later.
- Muddle the mint in the empty glass. Place the 10 mint leaves in the bottom, add the lime juice and simple syrup. Using a muddler (or the blunt end of a rolling pin, or the handle of a wooden spoon), press gently 3 to 5 times with a twisting motion. You want to bruise the leaves — not pulverise them. Over-muddling releases bitter compounds.
- Add the rum and stir. Pour the white rum over the muddled mint. Stir with a bar spoon for 10–15 seconds to combine. Taste and correct the balance before the ice and soda go in.
- Add ice. Fill the glass to the rim with crushed ice and press it down lightly with the spoon; it chills the drink fast and holds the mint in the middle of the glass.
- Top with soda and garnish. Pour the cold club soda slowly down the side of the glass. Stir gently once from the bottom up to lift the mint. Add the pre-slapped mint sprig upright and the lime wedge. Serve immediately.
FAQ
Bitterness in a mojito almost always comes from over-muddling: hard pressing breaks the stems and veins, which release bitter, grassy compounds. Press the 10 leaves just 3 to 5 times with a gentle twist, in a glass without ice and always with the lime juice and syrup already in. If the drink is already bitter, strain out the leaves over fresh ice and add 5 ml more syrup to balance it. Without a muddler, the handle of a wooden spoon or the blunt end of a rolling pin does the same job.
Light white rum in the Cuban or Puerto Rican style is the standard, because its clean character lets mint and lime lead. Golden rum adds caramel and vanilla notes and makes a rounder, sweeter mojito, which is fine but no longer the classic. Dark rum overpowers the mint. Use 60 ml of an unflavoured 37–40% rum; the lime and soda dilute it, so an expensive bottle is wasted here.
Leave out the rum and replace it with 60 ml more soda. Muddle the mint with the lime and syrup exactly as in the classic mojito, then add 5 ml more lime juice because there is no rum to give the drink body. Replace 30 ml of the soda with ginger beer for extra depth. The result is a light, fresh drink that suits kids and anyone avoiding alcohol.
For 8 servings use 480 ml white rum, 240 ml fresh lime juice, 120 ml simple syrup and about 80 mint leaves, pressed gently 8–10 times in the bottom of the pitcher. Stir without ice and refrigerate for up to 4 hours; after that the lime loses freshness. Add ice and 90 ml of soda only to each glass when serving, so the drink stays fizzy. For a second party cocktail, Classic Margarita scales the same way, and Piña Colada suits guests who prefer something creamy.
The classic mojito uses white sugar: either 15 ml of 1:1 simple syrup or 2 teaspoons of sugar stirred into the lime juice until it dissolves. Agave syrup works as a variant; it is sweeter, so use about 10 ml. Honey has to be diluted 1:1 with warm water first, otherwise it clumps in the cold drink and covers the mint. If your limes are ripe and sweet, start with less sweetener and taste before adding the rum.
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Comments (1)
I always chill the glasses for classic mojito — 15 minutes in the freezer transforms the drinking experience. The frost on the glass keeps everything at the perfect temperature through the last sip.