The mojito is a popular summer rum cocktail that requires just 5 ingredients, is simple to create, and is the ideal light and refreshing drink on a hot day! Next time, try my frozen gin and tonics.

In the summer, depending on my mood, I have a few go-to cocktails.

• If I want something fruity, I go for a tequila sunrise or sangrias.
• If I want something cold, I make a pineapple cooler or watermelon agua fresca.
• If I want something more herbal, I go for a gin and tonic or a mojito.

What is a mojito made of?

A mojito is a classic Cuban highball. It’s served with a straw in a highball glass on the rocks. The classic recipe simply calls for five ingredients:

• Mint
• Sugar (superfine or sugar cane, preferably) (superfine or sugar cane, ideally)
• Lime juice (fresh)
• The white rum
• Water with soda

The mix of herbaceous mint, tart lime, and sweetness make it exceptionally light and refreshing, making it a summer classic!

How to make a mojito

If you’re making more than one dish (this recipe serves two), you’ll need a cocktail shaker:

1. Mint should be muddled. I prefer to muddle the mint and unleash its flavors in the cocktail shaker with the mint, lime juice, and sugar. Next I add my rum. I find that combining the rum with the other ingredients makes it tough to muddle the mint since it floats about in so much liquid.
2. Shake it, shake it, shake it! Fill the cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes, cover, and shake for approximately 10 seconds to cool everything. The outside of the cocktail shaker will cloud with moisture, and your hands will get chilly. Which, to be honest, would be pleasant on a hot summer day!
3. Pour into serving glasses. Fill two 12 ounce highball glasses halfway with crushed or cubed ice and strain the contents evenly. If they didn’t flow out on their own, spoon out the mint leaves and press them down into each glass with a spoon. I also like to put a couple lime wedges from which I squeezed the juice into each glass.
4. Finish with club soda. Pour a dash of club soda into each glass to fill it to the brim.
5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serve with a spring of fresh mint on top of each glass and straws!

If you’re just preparing one serving, you may skip the cocktail shaker and prepare everything straight in your serving glass. You’ll follow the identical procedures as seen above, but instead of shaking everything together, you’ll stir it.

Don’t worry, it’ll still be tasty.

What does “muddle” mean?

It’s a strange name for crushing a herb, fruit, or spice in the bottom of a glass to unleash its tastes.

A muddler is a utensil used by bartenders to perform the process of muddling. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, so search around to find what you like most.

We have this one on the end of our bar spoon; it’s little but effective. You may even make do with the end of a wooden spoon.

3 tips for making the best mojitos

1. Roll the limes in order to extract as much juice as possible. Roll the lime back and forth, pressing hard with your palms, to loosen everything within and help create the maximum juice.

2. Make use of fresh mint. When I say “fresh,” I mean it. If you have a herb garden, pick some immediately before making your mojitos. The longer the mint is matured, the less taste it has, and mint is the star of this dish, so let it shine.

3. Don’t mix the mint too much! If you rip it into a million pieces, it will get trapped in your straw and taste bitter. And a bitter mojito sounds awful.

What kind of rum should I use?

You should use white or light rum in a pinch, but not spiced rum.

White rum is light-bodied and somewhat sweet in flavor, and it is distilled many times. Spiced rum is a combination that often features aromas of vanilla and caramel, as well as a shorter distillation duration.

Also, since white rum does not tint the drink, it seems generally clear and pleasant!

I usually buy Bacardi white rum since it is dependable, inexpensive, and easily accessible at every liquor shop I visit. It’s perfect for a party since it’s less expensive than some of the most complex-flavored white rums on the market.

So you could call it my Bacardi white rum review, lol! You are quite welcome.

Can I use simple syrup?

That is not something I would suggest.

I’ve heard folks use simple syrup for the sugar in the recipe, but I think that using the sugar to muddle the mint unleashes the mint flavor I’m seeking for as the star of the drink.