Classic Mojito
A bright, refreshing Cuban highball made by gently muddling fresh mint with lime and sugar, then topping with white rum, crushed ice and club soda. Cool, balanced and easy to make one glass at a time.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 cocktail (about 10 oz / 300 ml)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the club soda and the rum-free glass in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes if you have time; a cold glass keeps the drink crisp.
- Make crushed ice by sealing ice cubes in a clean kitchen towel or zip-top bag and whacking them with a rolling pin until pebble-sized.
- Roll the lime firmly on the counter before cutting to help it release more juice.
- Use superfine (caster) sugar if possible, since it dissolves quickly without needing syrup.
Prepare the garnish
- Rinse the mint and pat it dry.
- Pick 10 leaves for muddling and set aside one leafy top sprig for garnish.
- Cut a lime in half; squeeze one half to get 1 oz (30 ml) juice, and cut the other half into 2 wedges.
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Ready when: You have 1 oz of juice, 2 wedges, 10 leaves and 1 sprig ready.
Tip: Pat the mint dry; wet leaves slip around and are harder to muddle.
Muddle mint and lime
- In the bottom of a 12-oz highball glass, combine the 10 mint leaves, 1 lime wedge, 2 teaspoons sugar and the lime juice.
- Press down and twist the muddler gently 6 to 8 times.
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Ready when: The leaves are bruised and fragrant, the wedge is squashed, and most sugar has dissolved into the juice.
Tip: Press, don't shred. Torn mint turns bitter and leaves green flecks in the drink.
Add the rum
- Pour 2 oz (60 ml) white rum into the glass and stir for 10 seconds with a bar spoon to dissolve any remaining sugar.
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Ready when: No sugar granules remain when you scrape the spoon along the bottom.
Add crushed ice
- Fill the glass about two-thirds full with crushed ice, then stir from the bottom up for 5 seconds to lift the mint through the drink and start chilling it.
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Ready when: The outside of the glass begins to frost.
Top with soda
- Pour in 2 oz (60 ml) chilled club soda, then pack in more crushed ice to fill the glass to the rim.
- Give one final gentle stir.
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Ready when: The glass is full to the rim with ice and the drink looks lightly fizzy and cloudy-green.
Tip: Add soda last so it keeps its bubbles.
Garnish and serve
- Slap the mint sprig once between your palms to release its aroma, tuck it into the ice next to a straw, and perch the remaining lime wedge on the rim.
- Taste through the straw; if too tart, stir in ½ teaspoon more sugar.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: The drink smells strongly of fresh mint and tastes balanced between sweet, sour and minty.
Tip: Serve right away; crushed ice melts fast and dilutes the drink.
Good to know
Tips
- Muddle gently; the goal is to release the mint's oils, not to pulverize the leaves.
- Use fresh limes, not bottled juice, for a clean, bright flavor.
- Crushed ice chills and dilutes the drink to the right strength, so don't substitute large cubes unless you must.
- Adjust sweetness to your limes: add a pinch more sugar for tart limes, or a bit more juice for sweeter ones.
Make ahead
For a crowd, muddle mint, lime juice and sugar in a pitcher up to 1 hour ahead and refrigerate with the rum. Add ice and club soda to each glass just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Best consumed immediately. Not suitable for storing once iced and carbonated. The muddled mint, lime and rum base can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 hours; do not freeze.
Substitutions
- superfine sugar → ½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup. Replaces the 2 teaspoons sugar; skip the stirring step needed to dissolve granules.
- white rum → Sparkling water plus an extra 1 oz club soda. For a non-alcoholic virgin mojito; use a drop of vanilla or extra lime for depth.
- club soda → Plain sparkling mineral water. Works equally well; avoid tonic, which adds bitterness and sweetness.
- fresh spearmint leaves → Hierbabuena or yerba buena. The traditional Cuban mint; use the same quantity.
