How to Make a Mojito
Cuba's greatest export: a lesson in fresh mint, gentle muddling, and the patience not to overwork it
The Mojito is a drink that rewards restraint. It looks simple — rum, lime, mint, sugar, soda — but the difference between a good Mojito and a great one lies entirely in technique. Muddle too hard and the mint turns bitter. Muddle too soft and the drink tastes like flavoured water. Here is how to find the balance.
TLDR?
Just want the recipe? Here it is:
Featured Drink
Mojito
Cuba's most beloved export: a refreshing blend of white rum, fresh mint, and zesty lime that tastes like a Caribbean breeze.
What You Need
White rum is traditional — Cuban-style if you can find it, though any clean white rum works. Fresh mint is non-negotiable; dried or wilted leaves have lost their oils. Fresh lime juice matters just as much. For sweetener, simple syrup dissolves more reliably than granulated sugar, though the classic Cuban method uses sugar muddled with the lime. Soda water should be cold and freshly opened; flat soda ruins the drink.
The spec: 5 cl white rum, 2.5 cl fresh lime juice, 2 cl simple syrup, 8–10 fresh mint leaves, soda water to top.
The Method
Place the mint leaves in the bottom of a highball glass. Add the lime juice and simple syrup. Now muddle — but gently. Press and twist the mint against the glass three or four times. You are bruising the leaves to release their oils, not shredding them. Fill the glass completely with crushed ice; the dilution is part of the drink. Pour in the rum and stir to lift the mint and lime through the ice. Top with soda water and stir once more. Garnish with a sprig of mint, slapped between your palms first to wake up the aroma.
Common Mistakes
Over-muddling is the classic error. Tearing mint leaves releases chlorophyll, which tastes aggressively bitter and grassy. If your Mojito tastes like lawn clippings, you were too violent. Using cubed ice instead of crushed ice is the second mistake — the drink dilutes too slowly and the texture is wrong. Finally, do not shake a Mojito. It is a built drink, and shaking bruises the mint into submission. Build it in the glass, stir it with purpose, and serve it immediately.
A Simple Variation
Add three fresh strawberries to the muddle stage and you have a Strawberry Mojito, sweeter and more colourful. Replace the rum with gin and omit the soda for a Southside, a Prohibition-era cousin that is sharper and more botanical. Or use cachaça instead of rum and you are halfway to a Caipirinha — Brazil's answer to the same question, asked with a slightly different accent.