A classic Mojito combines 50 ml white rum, 25 ml fresh lime juice, 15 ml simple syrup, fresh mint and around 60 to 90 ml soda water. Gently press the mint, build the drink over plenty of ice and mix lightly to preserve the carbonation.
In this guide
A Mojito is a refreshing Cuban highball made with rum, fresh lime, sugar, mint, soda water and ice.
The key is restraint. You want bright lime, fresh mint aroma and enough sweetness to balance the drink without turning it sugary. The mint should be handled gently rather than aggressively crushed.
This guide gives you a reliable beginner recipe first, then explains how to balance the lime, sugar, mint, soda and ice.
Quick answer
For a classic-style Mojito, combine:
- 50 ml white rum
- 25 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml simple syrup
- 8 to 10 mint leaves
- 60 to 90 ml soda water
- Crushed, cracked or regular ice
Gently press the mint, add the rum, lime and syrup, fill with ice, top with soda and stir gently to combine.
Mojito recipe
Ingredients
- 50 ml white rum
- 25 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml 1:1 simple syrup
- 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
- 60 to 90 ml soda water, adjusted to taste
- Ice
- Mint sprig and lime wedge, for garnish
Makes: 1 cocktail
Equipment
- Highball glass
- Jigger
- Bar spoon
- Muddler or another blunt utensil, optional
If you are building your first home bar, our guide on what cocktail tools you actually need covers the essentials.
Method
- Add the lime juice and simple syrup to a highball glass.
- Add the mint leaves and press them gently a few times to release aroma.
- Add the rum and briefly stir.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Top with soda water.
- Gently lift and mix the drink with a bar spoon so the ingredients are evenly distributed without unnecessarily knocking out the carbonation.
- Top with a little more ice if needed and garnish with a fresh mint sprig and lime.
What is a Mojito?
A Mojito is a Cuban long drink built around five core elements:
- rum
- lime
- sugar
- mint
- soda water
It shares the basic rum, lime and sugar structure of a Daiquiri but adds mint, soda and a long serve over ice.
That gives the Mojito a lighter, more refreshing style with a strong aromatic element from the mint.
The drink's exact historical origin is not completely settled, so it is better to think of it as a classic Cuban cocktail with a long history rather than attaching it to one unquestionable inventor story.
What rum should you use for a Mojito?
White or light rum is the easiest starting point.
It gives you enough rum character without overwhelming the lime and mint.
A lightly aged rum can also work well if you want a little more depth.
You do not need an expensive bottle. Choose a rum you enjoy that is clean enough to let the rest of the drink remain noticeable.
Should you muddle mint in a Mojito?
You can, but do it gently.
The goal is to release the mint's aroma, not to grind the leaves into a paste.
A few light presses are enough.
If the leaves are completely shredded and darkened, you have probably gone further than necessary.
Some bartenders skip muddling entirely and simply clap or lightly press the mint before adding it to the glass.
There is no need to treat one method as universally correct. The useful principle is simple: handle the mint gently.
Why can over-muddled mint taste unpleasant?
When mint is aggressively crushed and torn apart, more vegetal material is released into the drink.
That can make the Mojito taste grassy or harsh rather than fresh and aromatic.
This is why more force does not necessarily produce more pleasant mint flavour.
If your Mojito tastes bitter or vegetal, reducing how aggressively you handle the mint is one of the first things to try.
Simple syrup vs granulated sugar
Both can work.
Simple syrup
Simple syrup is easier for beginners because it:
- dissolves immediately
- can be measured accurately
- makes balancing easier
- does not leave sugar at the bottom of the glass
Our guide on what simple syrup is and how to make it explains standard and rich syrup ratios.
Granulated sugar
Granulated sugar is also used in Mojitos, particularly in more traditional-style builds.
The main challenge is making sure it dissolves properly.
If you enjoy the ritual, it works perfectly well. If you want consistency, simple syrup is easier.
How much lime juice should you use?
About 25 ml fresh lime juice with 50 ml of rum is a useful starting point.
From there:
- if the drink tastes too sweet or flat, add slightly more lime
- if it tastes too sharp, reduce the lime or increase the sweetness slightly
Fresh limes vary in acidity, so exact measurements are a starting point rather than a law.
How much simple syrup should you use?
Start with around 15 ml of 1:1 simple syrup.
If the drink tastes too sweet, reduce it.
If the lime is particularly sharp, you may prefer slightly more.
If you are using rich 2:1 syrup, use less because it is more concentrated.
How much soda water should you use?
About 60 to 90 ml is a useful starting range.
Soda water should lengthen the drink without completely washing out the rum, lime and mint.
If your Mojito tastes watery, too much soda may be the problem.
If it feels short and intense, a little more soda can help.
Add it last and mix gently.
Should a Mojito be shaken or built in the glass?
A Mojito is commonly built directly in the serving glass.
This keeps the method simple and allows the soda to remain carbonated.
Some bartenders briefly shake the rum, lime and sweetener separately before building the drink, but the mint and soda should not be aggressively shaken together.
If you want to understand why different cocktails use different mixing methods, see our guide on when to shake or stir a cocktail.
What ice should you use?
Crushed or cracked ice suits the long, refreshing style of the drink and is commonly used.
Regular cubes also work.
The most important thing is to use plenty of cold ice so the drink stays chilled without becoming warm and diluted too quickly.
Our guide on how much ice you should use in a cocktail explains the role ice plays in chilling and dilution.
Why does the build order matter?
The order helps you control the drink.
- Lime and syrup first: easy to measure and combine.
- Mint next: gives you a liquid base to gently press it into.
- Rum before ice: allows the main ingredients to combine easily.
- Ice before soda: gets the drink cold before the carbonation is added.
- Soda last: helps preserve the fizz.
You do not need to obsess over every second of the sequence, but this order makes the process straightforward and repeatable.
How to make a Mojito less sweet
Reduce the simple syrup first.
You can also:
- add a small amount of extra lime
- make sure you are using plain unsweetened soda water
- check that you have not added extra sweet mixers
Do not automatically solve excess sweetness by adding a large amount of soda. That can make the drink thin rather than balanced.
How to make a Mojito less sour
Reduce the lime slightly or add a small amount of additional syrup.
Adjust by only a few millilitres at a time.
Also make sure the drink is properly chilled before deciding that the balance is wrong.
Why is my Mojito bitter?
Several things can make a Mojito taste harsher than intended.
The mint was handled too aggressively
Completely pulverising the leaves can introduce too much vegetal character.
You crushed lots of mint stem
Use mostly fresh leaves and treat the tougher stems gently.
The lime was overworked
If you are muddling lime wedges, crushing the peel and pith very aggressively can contribute bitterness.
Measured fresh lime juice is easier to control.
The drink is out of balance
Insufficient sweetness can make acidity and bitterness seem more aggressive.
Adjust the balance before assuming the mint itself is the problem.
Why is my Mojito watery?
Possible causes include:
- too much soda water
- ice that was already heavily melted
- letting the drink sit for a long time before serving
- too little rum, lime or sweetness relative to the length of the drink
A Mojito is supposed to be long and refreshing, so some dilution is part of the style.
The problem is when the core rum, lime and mint character disappears entirely.
Why is my Mojito too strong?
It may simply need more length.
Try:
- a little more soda water
- making sure the glass is properly filled with ice
- checking that your rum was measured accurately
A Mojito should generally feel refreshing rather than like a short spirit-forward drink.
What mint should you use?
Spearmint is the most practical default for many home bartenders and produces the familiar fresh mint character people expect.
Different mint varieties can taste noticeably different, so use what is fresh and available rather than worrying about finding one supposedly mandatory variety.
Lime wedges vs lime juice
Both methods can work.
Fresh lime juice
Measured juice is more consistent and avoids having to extract flavour from the peel and pith.
Lime wedges
Gently pressed lime wedges can add both juice and citrus aroma from the peel.
The trade-off is less precise measurement and a greater chance of extracting bitterness if the wedges are crushed very aggressively.
For beginners, measured fresh lime juice is the easier approach.
How to garnish a Mojito
The classic presentation uses:
- a fresh mint sprig
- a lime wedge or wheel
You can lightly clap the mint sprig between your hands before garnishing to release some aroma.
Place it near the top of the glass so the mint scent reaches your nose as you drink.
Can you make a Mojito without a muddler?
Yes.
You can use:
- the back of a bar spoon
- the handle of a wooden spoon
- another blunt utensil
The tool matters less than the amount of pressure you apply.
Our guide to cocktail tools you actually need explains why a muddler is useful but not essential.
Can you use sparkling water instead of soda water?
Yes, as long as it is plain and unsweetened.
A flavoured or sweetened soft drink changes the recipe by adding extra flavour and sugar.
Without any soda or sparkling water, the drink becomes much shorter and closer in structure to a mint-forward rum sour or Daiquiri variation.
Can you batch Mojitos?
Partly.
You can pre-batch:
- rum
- lime juice
- simple syrup
Keep that mixture chilled and use it relatively close to serving for the freshest citrus flavour.
Add the following per drink:
- fresh mint
- ice
- soda water
Adding the mint and soda close to serving gives you much fresher aroma and better carbonation than mixing everything together far in advance.
Common Mojito mistakes
Overworking the mint
Gentle pressure is enough.
Using too much sugar
The drink should be refreshing rather than syrupy.
Using too much lime
More acidity is not automatically more refreshing.
Adding too much soda
This can wash out the drink.
Using poor or melting ice
Use plenty of cold ice.
Not measuring
Rum, lime and sweetness need to stay in balance.
Flattening the soda
Mix gently once the carbonated water is added.
Using tired mint
Fresh mint is one of the main aromatic ingredients in the drink.
Learn the balance behind the Mojito
The Mojito is a simple drink, but it teaches several useful cocktail skills at once: sweetness, acidity, dilution, carbonation and gentle handling of fresh ingredients.
Once you understand how those elements interact, you can adjust the drink by taste rather than simply following a fixed recipe.
Cocktail Playbook's beginner cocktail course teaches those fundamentals through classic cocktails so you can make consistently good drinks at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Mojito?
A Mojito contains rum, fresh lime, sugar or simple syrup, mint, soda water and ice.
What is the standard Mojito ratio?
A useful beginner starting point is 50 ml rum, 25 ml lime juice and 15 ml simple syrup, topped with around 60 to 90 ml soda water.
What rum should I use?
White or light rum is an excellent starting point because it keeps the drink bright and allows the lime and mint to remain prominent.
Do you muddle the mint?
You can, but only gently. A few light presses are enough to release aroma without pulverising the leaves.
Should a Mojito be shaken?
It is commonly built directly in the serving glass. If you shake any part of it, do so before the soda is added.
Why is my Mojito bitter?
Possible causes include aggressively crushed mint, crushed lime pith or an unbalanced ratio.
Why is my Mojito watery?
You may have used too much soda, melting ice or left the finished drink sitting too long.
Can I use regular ice?
Yes. Crushed or cracked ice is common, but normal cubes can make an excellent Mojito.
Can I use sparkling water instead of soda water?
Yes, provided it is plain and unsweetened.
Can I make one without a muddler?
Yes. A spoon or another blunt utensil works perfectly well if you use gentle pressure.
Can you batch Mojitos?
You can batch the rum, lime and syrup ahead of time, then add fresh mint, ice and soda to each drink close to serving.
