Mojito Cocktail Recipe UK: Fresh, Balanced and Easy

A mojito is a Cuban cocktail made with white rum, fresh lime, mint, sugar and sparkling soda water, served cold over ice. This UK-friendly recipe balances tart citrus and gentle sweetness with fragrant mint; light muddling keeps the drink fresh rather than bitter. It makes one glass, so you can mix each mojito just before serving.

Ingredients

10 fresh spearmint leaves (about 2 g), plus 1 small sprig for garnish. Spearmint is the classic choice; peppermint is a stronger, cooler-tasting substitute.
1 medium lime (about 2 oz / 60 g), cut into wedges, plus a thin wheel if you like for garnish.
2 tsp (8 g) granulated or caster sugar. Caster sugar dissolves more readily, while regular granulated sugar works if muddled thoroughly with the lime.
2 US fl oz (60 ml) white rum.
3 US fl oz (90 ml) chilled soda water, plus a little more if needed to top up. Choose plain, unsweetened soda water, not tonic water.
1 cup (about 140 g) ice, preferably crushed for a traditional-looking, quickly chilled drink; ice cubes also work.

Instructions

Prepare the glass and lime. Choose a sturdy highball glass with a capacity of about 10–12 US fl oz (300–350 ml). Put the sugar in the glass. Squeeze the lime wedges gently into it, then drop the squeezed wedges in as well. If the lime is especially juicy, start with three-quarters of it and save the rest to adjust the drink.
Release the mint oils. Add the mint leaves. Press them gently with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon, turning the tool a few times to release their aroma. The leaves should be bruised and fragrant, not shredded or ground into a paste. Avoid crushing the white pith of the lime wedges hard, since it can add a bitter edge.
Add the rum. Pour in 2 US fl oz (60 ml) white rum and stir until most of the sugar has dissolved. This also lifts the lime and mint flavours from the bottom of the glass. If a little sugar remains, it will usually dissolve as you finish mixing, especially when using caster sugar.
Fill with ice. Add the ice to the glass, filling it nearly to the top. Crushed ice chills the drink quickly and gives it a frosty texture, but it melts faster and can dilute the cocktail sooner. If you prefer a slower-melting drink, use solid ice cubes instead.
Top with soda and stir. Pour in 3 US fl oz (90 ml) chilled soda water, then stir gently from the bottom upwards to combine the lime, sugar, rum and soda without knocking out too much fizz. Taste with a clean straw or spoon. Add a splash more soda for a lighter drink, or squeeze in a little of the reserved lime if it tastes too sweet.
Garnish and serve immediately. Give the mint sprig a gentle clap between your palms to release its scent, then tuck it into the glass with a lime wheel if desired. Keep the garnish near the rim so its aroma reaches you as you sip. Serve while the ice is still firm and the soda is lively.

Tips

Muddle gently. Mint gets its aroma from oils in the leaves, not from pulverising them. Hard muddling tears the leaves and can make the drink taste grassy or bitter. A few light presses are enough; if you do not have a muddler, use the rounded end of a wooden spoon.
Use fresh lime and cold soda. Bottled lime juice lacks some of the fresh fragrance that makes this cocktail bright. Chilled soda water helps keep the ice from melting too quickly while you build the drink. Add the soda last and stir carefully to preserve its bubbles.
Adjust sweetness to the lime. Limes vary in size, juice and tartness. Start with the stated sugar, taste after adding the soda, then adjust in small increments. If your sugar is slow to dissolve, stir it into the lime juice before adding the mint rather than adding extra sugar at the end.
Choose substitutions deliberately. If white rum is unavailable, a light-bodied rum is the closest swap; aged or spiced rum gives the drink a deeper, warmer flavour. If you cannot find spearmint, use less peppermint at first because it can dominate. Plain sparkling water can replace soda water, while tonic water makes the mojito noticeably bitter and sweet.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the mojito in a tall, chilled highball glass with a reusable or paper straw if wanted. A straw makes it easier to sip a drink containing crushed ice, but it is not essential. The mint sprig is more than decoration: placing it near the rim lets its scent mingle with the lime as you drink. Keep the lime garnish simple so it does not crowd the glass or make the mint difficult to sip around.

This cocktail suits warm-weather meals and relaxed gatherings, especially alongside grilled vegetables, seafood, or savoury snacks with citrus-friendly flavours. For a group, set out lime wedges, mint, sugar, ice, rum and chilled soda water, then mix each glass individually. Making each drink fresh keeps the soda fizzy and lets you adjust its tartness and sweetness for the person drinking it. This recipe contains alcohol and is for adults of legal drinking age only; drink responsibly.

Variations

Less-sweet mojito: Reduce the sugar to 1 tsp (4 g) and keep the rest of the proportions the same. This lets the lime taste sharper and the rum more noticeable. Because sugar helps soften the acidity, taste before serving and add a little more if the lime is particularly tart.

Fruit mojito: Add 2–3 strawberries (about 50 g), hulled and quartered, or ¼ cup (about 40 g) ripe mango before muddling. Press the fruit lightly with the lime and sugar, then continue as directed. The fruit adds sweetness and colour, so begin with less sugar and adjust after topping with soda.

Alcohol-free mojito-style cooler: Leave out the rum and use 2 US fl oz (60 ml) cold water or extra soda water in its place. Add the lime, mint and sugar as written, then fill the glass with ice and top with soda. It will be lighter and less rounded than the rum version, but still refreshing and minty.

Brown-sugar version: Swap the granulated sugar for 2 tsp (8 g) light brown sugar. It brings a mild molasses note and a slightly darker colour, which changes the clean, crisp profile of the usual white-rum mojito. Stir particularly well so the sugar dissolves before serving.

Storage and Reheating

A finished mojito is best served as soon as it is made. There is no useful reheating step: heat would flatten the soda and spoil the cold, fresh character of the drink. Ice will dilute the cocktail as it melts, and the mint loses its fragrance over time, so avoid making finished glasses hours in advance. If the drink has been sitting out, discard it rather than saving a partly melted cocktail for later.

You can prepare separate ingredients ahead. Wash and dry mint, then refrigerate it wrapped loosely in a barely damp paper towel inside a container; use it within 1–2 days for the best aroma. Lime wedges can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, though freshly cut lime is more fragrant. Keep rum sealed at room temperature and soda water chilled. If you combine lime juice and sugar ahead, cover and refrigerate the mixture, use it within 24 hours, and add the mint, ice and soda only when serving. Refrigerate prepared ingredients within 2 hours, and do not leave cut fruit or a mixed drink at room temperature for extended periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rum for a mojito?
Use a clean, light-bodied white rum for the crisp flavour most people expect from a mojito. A lightly aged rum can work, but it brings more oak and caramel notes. Dark or spiced rum is a possible personal variation rather than a direct match, since its stronger flavour can compete with the mint and lime.

Can I make a mojito without a muddler?
Yes. A sturdy wooden spoon is a good substitute. Press and turn the mint gently rather than pounding it, and avoid using a sharp utensil or anything fragile that could chip in the glass. The goal is to bruise the leaves and release their aroma, not to break them into tiny pieces.

Can I make a pitcher of mojitos?
You can scale up the lime, sugar, mint and rum in a pitcher, but it is better to add soda water and ice to individual glasses just before serving. For a small group, gently bruise the mint with lime and sugar in the pitcher, stir in the rum, and keep the mixture chilled. Add soda to each glass so the bubbles do not disappear while the pitcher sits.

Why does my mojito taste bitter?
The most common cause is over-muddled mint or lime pith. Press the mint only a few times, and squeeze the lime gently rather than crushing the whole wedges. Older mint can taste less fresh, and tonic water will add bitterness because it is a different drink mixer from plain soda water.

Can I use bottled lime juice?
It will make a drink, but the flavour is usually less bright and aromatic than freshly squeezed lime. If bottled juice is your only option, start with about 1 US fl oz (30 ml), taste, then add a little more if needed. You will miss the fresh lime wedges, so avoid muddling the bottled juice with the mint.

How do I keep a mojito from becoming too watery?
Chill the rum, soda and glass before mixing, and use plenty of solid ice so the drink gets cold quickly. Crushed ice gives a classic texture but melts more quickly, especially in a warm room. Build the mojito just before serving, stir briefly, and do not leave it standing while you prepare the rest of the meal.

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