Mojito is considered as a refreshing drink that is most suitable for hot weather. After you master this refreshing drink recipe made from a mixture of mint leaves, lime, and sugar, you and your friends can enjoy it as a refresher from the hot weather. Whether you prefer classic mojito recipes, or want to try different flavors like fresh strawberry or coconut, this article will give you the secret to making the perfect mojito.
Ingredients
Classic Mojito
To: 1 cup drink
- 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar or sugar solution
- 8 mint leaves
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 88 ml or 2 jiggers (measuring cups) white rum
- Soda water
- Ice
Strawberry Mojito
To: 1 cup drink
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar or sugar solution
- 4-6 mint leaves
- 4 peeled strawberries, cut into quarters
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 88 ml or 2 white rum jiggers
- Soda water
- Ice
Coconut Mojito
To: 1 cup drink
- 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or sugar solution
- 8 mint leaves
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 30 ml coconut cream
- 88 ml or 2 white rum jiggers
- Soda water
- Ice
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Classic Mojito
Step 1. Prepare a tall, sturdy glass
Short glasses will make your drink look full and messy, and fragile glasses may break when you squeeze the ingredients in the drink. If you don't want your drink to be runny, add more rum later. However, you need to remember that this drink is a refreshing drink that should be enjoyed slowly, not drunk all at once.
Pint glasses or collins glasses are perfect for serving mojitos. Pint glasses are usually thicker, so you may prefer a straight cylindrical collins shape
Step 2. Add mint, 2 teaspoons sugar and lime juice to a glass
The amount of lime juice you add should be enough to soak and wet the sugar. Since the amount of juice released by limes varies, the juice of 1/2 a lime may not be enough. If so, squeeze another 1/2 lime.
- Hierba buena is the type of mint used in Cuban mojito recipes, but spearmint may be easier to obtain. You can also use peppermint or pineapple mint.
- The classic sweetener in a mojito is powdered sugar. The granulated sugar will help scrape the mint leaves as you stir, and the powdered sugar will dissolve more easily than coarse sugar like Turbinado.
- You can also use a sugar solution instead of granulated sugar. That way, your entire drink will taste sweet and there will be no sugar flakes left.
Step 3. Press the round end of the muddler into the bottom of the glass and gently twist it a few times
You can stop after smelling the mint, don't let the mint leaves get torn apart. Mint doesn't need to be mashed--you just need to press it to release the oil. If the mint leaves tear, the veins will release chlorophyll and your drink will taste bitter like grass.
- You can slice half a lime that has been squeezed lengthwise, then put it in a glass to press. The lime zest will amplify the taste of the lime and your drink. However, do not press the layer between the flesh and the skin, because it tastes very bitter.
- If you don't have a muddler, use the back of a spoon (a wooden spoon is better) or the handle of a bread grinder. You should use a wood muddler that is unvarnished (so your drink doesn't get resinous), has a rounded tip, and is jagged at the edges.
- Unless the leaves you are using are from the hierba buena variety, be sure to remove the stems from your drink. In spearmint the taste comes from the leaves, and the stems only contain chlorophyll which tastes bitter and spoils the taste of your drink.
- If you are using hierba buena leaves, add two bunches of leaves along with the stem. The taste of hierba buena comes from the stem, and is fresher and more sour than other types of mint.
Step 4. Add 2 jiggers or 88 ml of rum
Cuban white rum will make your mojito taste more authentic, but it's hard to find in some countries. If you don't have one, you can use white or silver rum instead.
If you like a stronger drink, add more rum now. The addition of rum is more suitable if you use a short glass so that your drink is thicker, because with a tall glass, you can drink the mojito slowly
Step 5. Add four ice cubes and pour sparkling water on top
You should use ice cubes instead of shaved ice, because the shaved ice will melt faster (it will make your drink cold quickly, but also runny).
- Sparkling water has a mild, fresh taste and doesn't affect the taste of your mojito. To make the drink taste different, you can add lemon-lime flavored soda or mineral water.
- Garnish with lime wedges, mint leaves, or sugar-coated stir sticks.
Method 2 of 3: Making a Strawberry Mojito
Step 1. Put mint, sugar, lime juice, and strawberries in a tall, sturdy glass
You should use a tall glass to serve this mojito, as the strawberries will add volume. Be sure to arrange the layers of the drink in the order above, so that the mint leaves are protected from muddlers and don't tear easily.
- If you don't like the rough texture of the strawberries, you can blend them until smooth and add the rum. The texture of the drink will be smoother, and you can remove some of the strawberry seeds if you want.
- Be sure to include the peeled (stemless) strawberries.
- Since strawberries are naturally sweet, you may need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. (The classic mojito uses about two teaspoons of sugar, but in this recipe reduce it to half).
Step 2. Press the muddler into the bottom of the glass and rotate it
If the tip of your muddler is pointed, use that part to smooth the strawberries--but make sure the mint leaves are on the bottom layer so they don't tear. Press until the strawberry is crushed and the juice comes out.
- Don't let the bitter chlorophyll out of the mint, use only the leaves, and discard the stems. Don't press too hard until the leaves tear. The final appearance of the mint leaves should be wrinkled, but not crushed and torn.
- The flavor of the oil in the mint will come out more easily with the help of the texture of the sugar. The sugar will also absorb the oil and flavor of the strawberries, making your drink even more delicious.
Step 3. Add 2 jiggers or 88 ml of rum and stir, until all the flavors in the drink are well combined
You can use white or silver rum, or better yet Cuban rum if you can. Black rum will give off a strong spice and molasses taste, making it unsuitable for a mojito. The darker color of the rum will also affect the color of the drink. The color of your drink should be clear to emphasize the bright greens and pinks in it.
If you prefer to use soft strawberries, add the strawberries that were blended in this step. You can also add a few small slices of strawberries if you like the fruity look in your glass
Step 4. Add ice cubes and pour sparkling water over it
Add ice until it fills about 3/4 of the height of the glass.
Garnish with strawberries and mint leaves
Method 3 of 3: Making a Coconut Mojito
Step 1. Put the mint leaves, 2 teaspoons of sugar, lime juice, and 30 ml of cream of coconut in a tall, sturdy glass
Be sure to shake the can of coconut cream beforehand, as the cream may settle in it.
- Coconut milk and coconut cream are not the same and cannot replace each other. So don't use coconut milk instead of coconut cream. Coconut milk is too runny and not thick like coconut cream.
- "Coconut cream" is different from "coconut cream". Coconut cream is not sweet, while coconut cream tastes very sweet, almost like sweetened condensed milk. If you only have coconut cream, add a little sugar before using it to make a mojito.
- If you only get coconut cream in powder form, mix it with a little water until it thickens like sweetened condensed milk. Taste to make sure it's sweet before adding it to the drink.
Step 2. Press the round end of the muddler into the bottom of the glass and gently twist it
Your surroundings will smell minty as the essential oils come out. This is a sign that you have pressed enough. Be careful not to press too hard. If the mint leaves are torn and the veins are torn, your drink will taste bitter like grass.
- If you don't have a muddler, use the back of a metal spoon or the end of a wooden spoon or bread grinder.
- If you are afraid to press the mint leaves too hard, place the mint leaves in the palm of your hand and clap. This step is not as effective as pressing the mint leaves, but the pressure of your hand should be enough to get some of the mint flavor out.
- Let the ingredients in your drink sit for a while after pressing, so the sugar can absorb the mint and coconut flavors.
Step 3. Pour in 2 jiggers or 88 ml of coconut flavored rum
However, the coconut cream in the drink already makes it taste delicious and fresh like coconut, so if you want to make the taste lighter, use white or silver rum instead.
Stir the drink to combine the flavors and prevent the coconut cream from settling to the bottom of the glass. Enjoy it while it's white like milk
Step 4. Fill 3/4 of the height of the glass with ice and pour sparkling water over it
Garnish with mint leaves, lime wedges, or even a little coconut flesh.
