A mojito is one of the few cocktails where the technique matters as much as the ingredients, since bruising the mint the wrong way changes the whole drink.
What you need
- 2 oz white rum
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar, or 0.75 oz simple syrup
- 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
- Soda water, to top
- Ice
The method
- Add the mint leaves and sugar to the bottom of a sturdy glass.
- Gently muddle the mint, pressing just enough to release the oils without tearing the leaves into small pieces. Over-muddling releases bitter compounds from the leaf and makes the drink taste grassy rather than fresh.
- Add the lime juice and rum, and stir to help dissolve any remaining sugar.
- Fill the glass with ice, top with soda water, and give it one gentle stir to combine.
- Garnish with a mint sprig, slapped lightly between your hands first to release its aroma before adding it to the glass.
Why gentle muddling matters
Mint leaves contain both the pleasant aromatic oils you want and bitter compounds locked inside the cell structure that you do not. A gentle press releases the oils; aggressive crushing breaks the leaf down enough to release the bitterness too, along with tiny fragments that end up floating in your drink.
Using flavoured sugar for a twist
Swapping plain sugar for Juicy Strawberry turns a classic mojito into a strawberry mojito without needing to muddle actual fruit into the glass. Add it at the same stage as you would plain sugar, alongside the mint.
Common mistakes
- Using too much ice too early, which dilutes the drink before the flavours combine
- Muddling too hard, which turns the drink bitter and cloudy
- Skipping the mint slap before garnishing, which is a small step that noticeably improves the aroma
