The sun is out and my garden mint is growing rampant! Time to fix up a refreshing, citrus-punched classic rum mojito! These rum cocktails are one of my summer favorites (along with this Strawberry Sangria) – tart lime, flavorful mint, good ol’ spiced rum, and a splash of sweet and soda! Mint mojitos are great as a poolside cocktail and it’s simple to whip up a batch of mojitos for everyone that can join you to toast the summer sun!
Mixing the Perfect Cocktail
We like to make our mojitos in big mason jars so that there is plenty of room for a good size refreshing drink, even when it’s stuffed with mint leaves and lots of ice. You can always adjust the amount of rum if you want a little more (or less) liquor in your punch.
Start with your wedges of lime and a sprig of mint (or a handful) and muddle them together in the bottom of your glass. You really want to smash the mint leaves so that their fragrance and flavor can seep out and also get the lime, peel and all, adding its citrus punch to the glass.
Once you’ve muddled those up well, you simply add your other ingredients over the prepared flavors. Fill up with as much ice as desired, then add your rum. This recipe calls for two shots of rum. If your rum bottle has a pour spout, the rum will trickle out at a nice even pace – count to four for each shot. This drink get an EIGHT COUNT!
After your mint, lime, ice, and rum, it’s time to make the drink easy on the palate. Add simple syrup and soda water until you have a nicely balanced drink. Making your own simple syrup is a breeze and takes only a few minutes. I like about a 2:1 ratio of simple syrup to lime and then a 4:1 ratio of soda water to simple syrup.
Swirl your ingredients around and give it a taste. If it’s too sweet or strong, try adding a bit of soda water first, then add more lime juice if there’s not enough citrus coming through.
Classic Rum Mojito Recipe
Classic Rum Mojito
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup lime juice plus more for garnish
- 1 sprig fresh mint (1/4 cup mint leaves, loosely packed)
- 2 shots classic white or spiced rum
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- 1 cup soda water
- 1/2-1 cup ice
Instructions
- Cut lime into quarters. Squeeze 1/8 cup lime juice into 12 oz. glass. Add lime pieces into glass as well. Preserve 1/4 lime for garnish.
- Add sprig of mint to glass with lime. Smash/muddle well.
- Add ice and rum. Add simple syrup.
- Top with soda water.
- Stir well. Add soda water, simple syrup, or lime to taste.
