What is a mojito?

The ingredients are simple – fresh mint, sugar or sugar syrup, fresh limes, white rum, sparkling water and crushed ice. What’s not to like?

How to make a mojito

The trick to a great mojito flavour is to crush or muddle fresh mint leaves or sprigs of mint with a little granulated sugar or some sugar syrup, either in individual tall glasses or in a sturdy serving jug. The end of a wooden rolling pin works excellently but anything that will bruise the leaves and release their pungent oil will do. Special muddling sticks are widely available online.

After that it’s up to you – a little or large squeeze of lime juice, a measure or much more of white rum, a helping of crushed ice and then a top up with sparkling water and a jolly good stir. Like a martini cocktail, there is no absolute recipe other than the one you prefer.

A golden mojito uses golden (not dark) rum and this gives a more robust flavour as well as a celebratory appearance.

Learn how to make the best mojito.

How to store a mojito

If you want to make Mojitos for later, remove the mint with which you have made it, or this will gradually discolour and might even change the flavour. Add more freshly crushed mint when you eventually serve.

Where to buy a mojito

Wherever there is fresh mint, sugar, limes, white rum, sparkling water and crushed ice.

Using the correct variety of mint is important. Peppermint is best, usually recognised by the black/dark red tint to the stalks. Spearmint has a softer, less sharp flavour that can seem a bit limp.

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