Mojito Cocktail Recipe

This classic mojito cocktail recipe is the ultimate summer cocktail. Made with a refreshing combination of rum, mint, lime, and simple syrup, this mint mojito is the perfect way to cool off on a hot day. 

The first time I had a mojito cocktail was at a restaurant near where I live. I told the bartender I didn’t like overly sweet drinks and she recommended the mojito. I decided to take a chance.

I regretted that decision. Too sweet.

The second time I had a mojito was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We were going on a cruise and flew down the day before so we could see the sights. For lunch, we went to a popular restaurant and my brother ordered a mojito. I ordered a beer and the rest of my family ordered sangria.

Everybody’s drinks came quickly except the mojito since the bartender took his time. It was fun watching him muddle the mint with lime, water, and granulated sugar.

When it finally arrived, my brother offered us all a sip and I remember my sip perfectly: I raised the glass to my lips and fireworks exploded around my head.

WOW!

At that moment, I realized I loved mojitos. Loved! This was the real deal, not like the sugary concoction I was previously served.

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Helpful tips

• Use really fresh mint. I luckily now have a mint plant and I use it a lot.
• If you don’t have a cocktail muddler, you can use the back of a wooden spoon. It takes longer but will still work.
• Use good quality rums like Barcardi which is a solid rum.
• You can make this with water and sugar, but I don’t like to taste the granulars and prefer simple syrup since the sugar is already melted.
• Make your own simple syrup instead of buying it – 1 cup white sugar to 1 cup water, boil for 5 minutes, let cool before using it in a cocktail.
• Wash the limes before juicing them or garnishing the glass. Here’s how: squirt some unscented, natural soap in your palm and rub your hands over the limes. Then take a vegetable brush and brush the skin. Run cold water over the limes, making sure to rinse off the soap.
• Always use freshly squeezed lime.
• Do NOT use bottle lime juice as it is too sweet and acidic.
• If you don’t have both white and gold rums, you can use one or the other but do NOT use spiced rum.
• Some people like crushed ice in their mojito but I find the ice melts quickly and dilutes the cocktail.

How to make a mojito cocktail

Pre-step

Get your cocktail shaker but don’t put any ice in it. Get a measuring glass and glassware, like double old fashioned or highball glass.

After measuring out each ingredient below, pour it to the shaker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients: fresh mint leaves, two kinds of rum – Bacardi silver and gold, lime juice, simple syrup and club soda.

Step two

Place mint in the cocktail shaker.

Step three

Measure 2 ounces of sugar syrup. (A)

Step four

Measure 2 ounces of fresh lime juice. (B)

Step five

With the mint, lime juice, and simple syrup in your cocktail shaker, muddle mint until you can smell the leaves without putting your nose to the shaker – approximately 2 minutes.

Step six

Measure 2 ounces of white rum. (C)

Step seven

Measure 2.5 ounces gold rum. (D)

Step eight

Add some ice to the shaker, cap it and gently shake for 15 – 30 seconds. Add more ice to the glasses and strain the mojito cocktail into them. You should have one inch to the top of the glass.

Step nine

Top the cocktails off with a splash of soda water and fish out some mint leaves and place them in the glasses as well. Add a mint sprig or two for garnish.

Stir mixture.

Step ten

Cut 2 wedges of a lime, squeeze the juice into the glasses and place the wedges on top.

A vertical view of this tasty drink.

All that is left is to sip it and taste the delicious melded flavors.

*Fireworks explode around my head*

I hope you enjoyed this mojito cocktail recipe. I certainly loved drinking this cocktail.

Please leave me a comment, what is your favorite rum cocktail?

Other popular mint cocktails

• Cucumber
• Blueberry
• Cherry Julep

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

This mojito cocktail recipe was first published in July of 2016