Mojitos are famous for their refreshing combination of sweet, tart, and minty flavors. It's a classic rum cocktail that will cool you off on a hot summer day.
Sipping a Fun Mojito Cocktail is an Easy Way to Beat the Heat or Enjoy the Happy Hours at your Favorite Tropical Bar
The best Mojito recipe probably originated at a famous hotel bar in Havana, Cuba but its exact origins are lost to the mists of time. And while the mint Mojito drink is certainly one of Cuba's most famous creations, other great cocktails originated there, including the Cuba Libre and the Daquiri.
This simple cocktail can be seen in movies and books and is a favorite of many a tropical fan. James Bond can seen sipping a classic Mojito cocktail beachside in the movie Die Another Day. After all, what better way to have a good time and escape the heat than sipping a cocktail made from local ingredients such as sugar cane, rum, and lime? And of course, Ernest Hemingway was known to consume a pitcher of Mojitos just to get the day started. Either way, it is the perfect summer cocktail.
The Best Recipe and Ingredients for a Delicious Cocktail will Yield Many Classic Drinks
This is an easy recipe for the Mojito cocktail. It's a classic cocktail that contains simple ingredients:
- Bacardi Silver light rum from Puerto Rico is the best rum to use. It is easily available at most grocery stores and reasonably priced. Plus, it is easier to find than Cuban rum. The mint Mojito recipe is typically made with a white rum and not a dark rum, but really it's whatever your taste buds prefer. Always use the best alcohol you can when mixing a Mojito, because an inferior rum will ruin the drink.
- I prefer to use simple syrup, which is easily made with a little sugar and ensures there are no sugar granules in your drink.
- Plenty of fresh mint leaves cut from the mint sprig.
- Lime wedges for fresh lime juice -- the best part of the drink! It infuses all those zesty lime flavors.
- Soda water or bubbly club soda.
Many Mojito recipes use short cuts, such as sweetening with cane sugar or using lime juice from a bottle. Believe me, it's worth taking the time to mix this cocktail by hand using the best Mojito recipe--a classic one such as this, with fresh ingredients. And this is an easy Mojito recipe!
I prefer to use this easy-to-make simple syrup to mix with rather than the fine, powdered sugar some recipes call for. It helps keep the mint leaves intact while muddling, and it doesn't leave a sugary mess in the bottom of the glass.
Tools Needed to Make a Mojito
Aside from some common tools such as:
- Cocktail Shaker
- Bar knife
- Bar spoon
- Cocktail jigger
You'll also want to use a high quality muddler to gently mash the mint leaves to release their natural oils and mint flavors I prefer a simple wooden muddler like this one.
They are easy to use and clean and are very affordable and can be used to make several cocktails such as an Old Fashioned or Mint Julep.
How to make a Classic Mojito
There are not too many special steps needed to mix a Mojito. Just follow these simple steps:
- Place some fresh ice cubes in a tall glass and set aside.
- Place some more fresh ice cubes in your cocktail shaker and set aside.
- In a small glass, place the mint leaves and pour using your muddler, mash them up--careful not to completely tear them.
- Pour this mixture into your shaker along with the rum and lime juice and shake for a good 30 seconds to cool the drink completely.
- Pour into the tall glass of ice and top with club soda.
- Add some additional mint leaves, sprigs and lime wedges for garnish.
Tips for Success for an Easy Mojito Cocktail
How to make a mint Mojito with fresh ingredients? It's pretty simple, really.
- Use a cocktail muddler to help mash the mint leaves to release the oils from the plant.
- Don't use a Mojito mix. They contain many chemicals and plenty of sugar, and you don't get the fresh, authentic taste. Also, avoid bottled lime juice since it has a very harsh, sour flavor.
- Muddling of the fresh mint leaves should be done gently. No need to destroy the leaves and have specs of green floating in the drink, making it hard to swallow -- go easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't have a muddler in your home bar, simply use bottom of a wooden spoon to mash the mint leaves. Remember, the objective is not to shred them; you just want to mash them to release the mint oils.
A virgin Mojito is just one of the fun variations of the original Mojito but without the alcohol content. Follow the recipe below, and simply leave out the rum for the perfect balance of refreshing taste without the effects of alcohol. For another refreshing drink try a regular or virgin Strawberry Mojito -- one of many delicious fresh fruit rum cocktails based on a Mojito. Or, leave out the fruit juice and stick with the simple Mojito with basic ingredients -- an easy drink to love!
These fun cocktails are quite different, individual drinks. The Mojito is an easy cocktail that uses white rum as the base spirit, whereas the Margarita uses tequila. The Mojito originated in Cuba and the Margarita may have originated in Mexico. It hard to know for sure, so it depends on which legend of the origins of the Mojito and Margarita you believe.
What's your favorite cocktail recipe to cool off with during the hot summer months? In addition to the mojito, other mint-flavored drinks I like include the Grasshopper, Mint Julep and the Stinger.
Before you go, did you try this cocktail? Why not leave a comment in the comments section along with a rating? I always appreciate hearing from you and getting your feedback.
Classic Mojito Cocktail Recipe with Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 ounces white rum
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- ¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 6-8 mint leaves
- 6 ounces club soda
Instructions
- Place fresh ice into a tall glass and set aside.
- Place fresh ice cubes into your cocktail shaker and set aside.
- Add the mint leaves to a small, short glass.
- Pour the simple syrup into the glass over the mint leaves.
- Gently muddle the leaves until you really smell the oils.
- Pour this mixture into your cocktail shaker.
- Add the fresh lime juice and rum and shake for 30 seconds.
- Pour into the tall glass of ice.
- Fill the remainder of the glass with club soda and stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and some sprigs of mint.
Alex says
AS
Felix says
AS
Kimberly Anne Russell says
I made mint simple syrup and put it in the freezer for when I want a mojito on the fly!