Mojito Cocktail Recipe (with Easy Step-by-Step Video)

There’s nothing more refreshing than a Mojito on a hot summer day. ☀️ It’s the quintessential summer cocktail, and for good reason.

But do you know how to make a proper Mojito? Let me guess – you’re probably doing that thing where you demolish the mint leaves into green confetti. Stop right there, cocktail criminal. Let’s fix that. 🌿

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Mojito Cocktail

Recipe by Jedain Arron

5.0 from 1 vote

The Mojito is a refreshing Cuban highball that combines white rum with fresh lime juice, mint leaves, sugar, and a splash of soda water. When properly made, it’s a perfectly balanced drink that’s both refreshing and complex.

Course: Highball Glass, Collins Glass, Copper MugCuisine: Classic CocktailDifficulty: Easy

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Servings

1

servings

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

3

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Ounces White rum

• 1 Ounce Fresh lime juice

• 2 Ounces Club soda

• .75 Ounces Simple syrup

• 6 Fresh mint leaves (plus sprig for garnish)

• Ice (crushed or cubed)

Directions

• Add simple syrup and very gently muddle the mint (just enough to release oils, don’t shred).
• Add fresh lime juice.
• Fill glass 2/3 with ice.
• Pour in rum.
• Top with club soda.
• Stir gently to combine.
• Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

Equipment

• A Bar Above Stainless Steel Long Bar Spoons (Gold)Buy this spoon here
• A Bar Above Gold Japanese JiggerBuy this jigger here
• A Bar Above Stainless Steel Citrus Juicer (Gold)A Bar Above Stainless Steel Citrus Juicer (Gold)
• A Bar Above Natural Hardwood Extra Long Cocktail Muddler
• Luigi Bormioli Highball Cocktail GlassBuy it here

Recipe Video

Notes

• Never over-muddle your mint – you want to release the oils, not shred the leaves.
• For extra minty aroma, gently slap the mint sprig garnish between your palms before adding it to the drink.
• Fresh mint is non-negotiable – dried mint will ruin your drink

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What’s the best Rum for a Mojito?

• Rum: While Havana Club is traditional, it’s not available everywhere. I love Bacardi Superior for its clean profile, but Flor de Caña 4 Year or Don Q Cristal make excellent alternatives. For a premium experience, try Banks 5 Island.
• Mint: Spearmint is traditional, but any fresh mint variety works. Just ensure it’s bright green and aromatic.
• Soda: Q Club Soda or Fever-Tree Club Soda offer the best carbonation and mineral content.

History of the Mojito

Like most cocktails, the exact origins of the Mojito is a bit of a mystery and is up for debate. However, we do know that it was birthed in Havana, Cuba.

The Mojito is actually a pre-Prohibition era cocktail with roots dating back to the 16th century in Cuba. Here’s the fascinating timeline:

• The drink’s origins trace back to a crude mixture called “El Draque” (named after Sir Francis Drake) in the 1500s, which combined aguardiente (a primitive rum precursor), mint, lime, and sugar
• It evolved in Cuba during the late 1800s as rum production became more sophisticated
• The modern Mojito emerged in La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana during the early 1900s
• The drink gained international fame during the 1930s when Ernest Hemingway made it one of his favorites at La Bodeguita del Medio

While many classic cocktails were born during the American Prohibition era (1920-1933), the Mojito was already well-established in Cuba by then. Its popularity with Americans actually increased during Prohibition as they would often travel to Cuba to enjoy legal drinking.

The drink saw a massive revival in the late 1980s and early 2000s, particularly after it was featured in the 2002 James Bond film “Die Another Day.”

So technically, it’s a pre-Prohibition colonial era cocktail that has evolved into what we now consider a classic Cuban cocktail. Its history spans over 500 years, making it one of the oldest cocktails still regularly consumed today.

The most historically accurate version would actually use guarapo (fresh sugar cane juice) instead of simple syrup, though this ingredient is hard to find outside of Cuba and other sugar-producing regions.

If you want to learn more about the history of the Mojito, check out this post from Locogringo gringo as they go over the history of the mojito in greater detail.

Final Thoughts

So are you fluent in Spanish yet? If not, you didn’t make it right. Head to the top of this post and read it again, and again until you can roll your r’s… or slur them.

A properly made Mojito is a testament to simplicity. It doesn’t need fancy techniques or obscure ingredients – just respect for the basics and attention to detail. The key is treating those mint leaves like they’re made of glass and using quality rum. Remember, if your drink looks like it’s full of floating green confetti, you’ve gone too far.

So now that you tried it, what did you think? Is this a great mojito recipe or not? Let us know in the comments. We would love to hear it.