A classic Mojito is 45 ml white rum, 20 ml fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons of white sugar and 6 sprigs of mint, built in a highball over ice and topped with soda water. That is the International Bartenders Association (IBA) specification. The two things that make or break it are pressing the mint gently rather than shredding it, and using fresh lime.
Key takeaways
- IBA spec: 45 ml white rum, 20 ml fresh lime juice, 6 mint sprigs, 2 teaspoons white cane sugar, soda water.
- Press the mint, don't pulverise it. Shredded mint turns bitter and leaves bits in your teeth.
- Dissolve the sugar in the lime juice before the rum and ice go in, or use 20 ml of sugar syrup.
- One serve is about 1.4 Australian standard drinks.
- A clean, light white rum, such as Top Shelf Select Jamaican White Rum essence in 40% neutral, suits it best.
The recipe
Serves 1. Prep time: 4 minutes. Glass: highball.
Ingredients
- 45 ml white rum (Top Shelf Select Jamaican White Rum essence in 40% ABV neutral spirit)
- 20 ml fresh lime juice (about half a lime)
- 2 teaspoons white sugar, or 20 ml sugar syrup
- 6 sprigs fresh mint, plus one to garnish
- Soda water, to top
- Ice (crushed or cubed)
Method
- Put the mint, sugar and lime juice in a highball glass.
- Press the mint gently with a muddler or the back of a spoon, just enough to bruise it and dissolve the sugar.
- Add the rum and fill the glass with ice.
- Top with soda water and stir gently from the bottom to lift the mint through the drink.
- Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wedge.
Where the Mojito comes from
The Mojito is Cuban. Its origin stories reach back to the 16th century and a rough rum, lime and mint drink called El Draque, after the English privateer Francis Drake, but none of them can be proved. The version we drink today, with white rum, lime, sugar, mint and soda, was established in Havana bars by the early 20th century and is now an IBA official cocktail.
Making the rum at home
Top Shelf Select Jamaican White Rum comes as two 1.125 L sachets ($21), flavouring 2.25 L of 40% ABV neutral spirit. Because a Mojito is mostly lime, mint and soda, it rewards a clean neutral base: run it on a reflux still, carbon-filter at 50% ABV, dilute to 40% and then add the essence. Before you start, the rules for home distilling in Australia are short: owning and using a still is legal, and spirit needs a free ATO excise manufacturer licence.
Standard drinks
45 ml of 40% rum is 18 ml of alcohol, about 1.4 Australian standard drinks per glass. A jug made at the same ratio holds the same strength per glass, so count glasses, not jugs.
Variations
- Mojito jug (serves 6): 270 ml white rum, 120 ml lime juice, 120 ml sugar syrup, a big bunch of mint, lots of ice and about 600 ml soda water.
- Berry Mojito: press a few raspberries or strawberries with the mint.
- Dark rum Mojito: swap in a gold or dark rum for a richer, caramel drink.
- Virgin Mojito: skip the rum and top with more soda or lemonade.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a classic Mojito?
White rum, fresh lime juice, white sugar, fresh mint and soda water. The IBA specification is 45 ml rum, 20 ml lime juice, 2 teaspoons sugar and 6 mint sprigs, topped with soda.
Should you muddle the mint in a Mojito?
Press it gently. You want to bruise the leaves to release the oil, not tear them up, which makes the drink bitter.
What is the best rum for a Mojito?
A light, clean white rum. A home-made rum using Top Shelf Select Jamaican White Rum essence in a well-filtered 40% neutral spirit works well.
Can I use sugar syrup instead of sugar?
Yes. Use 20 ml of 1:1 sugar syrup in place of the 2 teaspoons of sugar. It mixes in faster and leaves no grit.
How strong is a Mojito?
About 1.4 Australian standard drinks per serve, from 45 ml of 40% rum.
