I had my first mojito at a great restaurant and bar on High Street Kensington in London appropriately called “Cuba”. It was delicious, and I went back several times to watch how it was made – muddled mint leaves and limes, rums of all kinds, shakes, stirs, splashes of club soda…perfection.
I decided to learn how to make mojitos myself, and having fresh mint growing on my balcony has made it easier to try more often. 😉
I make my mojitos differently from what I witnessed the bartenders doing in the bar in London, and later at other places I’ve been. Traditional mojito recipes call for muddling the mint, limes and raw sugar in the glass. While I love mojitos this way, I’ve also found that I love making my own infused simple syrups, and so I make mint-infused simple syrup to sweeten this drink.
After I make the simple syrup, I cut limes into wedges, pick mint from my garden and pull the leaves from the stem.
I then place the mint into a glass (or pitcher, as shown below), squeeze in some of the juice from the limes before throwing them in with the mint, then muddle them together. I add the rum and pour the simple syrup in slowly, adding about half the batch before finishing up with club soda. I taste it, and put in more simple syrup if needed.
The rum you choose will greatly affect the taste of your mojito. Some people prefer a clear rum, like Bacardi Superior. I’ve always preferred a dark rum (NOT a spiced rum – that’s not right for mojitos) and found that Mount Gay rum gives the best flavor (rich and smooth, with hints of vanilla), along with Havana Club rum (which we don’t have in the States, but I enjoyed while I was abroad). When I made this most recent batch, I had Bacardi Gold on hand, so that’s what I used. There are certainly better rums out there.
- Handful of mint leaves
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 water
- (or other equal parts measurement - this amount will make enough to sweeten 6 16 oz. drinks)
- 2 handfuls of mint leaves
- 6 limes
- Simple Syrup
- 12 ounces of Rum of your choice
- Club soda
- Add mint to a glass or pitcher
- Cut 5 limes into wedges, squeeze some juice into glass then add the rest of the lime with the mint
- Muddle
- Add simple syrup - about half
- Add rum (I use two ounces per serving)
- Add club soda
- Taste, and add more simple syrup if desired. I usually use the whole amount in this recipe when making a pitcher
- Slice remaining lime for garnish
- Serve over ice and enjoy!
Like this recipe? Be sure to check out some of my others, including this Basil Lemonade Cocktail, with basil-infused simple syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.