Fresh Lime and Mint Mojito
A crisp, sparkling white-rum cocktail with fresh lime juice, gently bruised mint and a small batch of cold-stirred sugar syrup. Clear measures for two tall glasses.
Cold bubbles, bright lime and fragrant mint make this a refreshing cocktail to build straight in the glass. A little sugar syrup spreads sweetness evenly, while a gentle press releases mint aroma without shredding the leaves.
This original home-cooking version is inspired by the Cuban mojito. It uses fresh strained juice, a cold-stirred syrup and measured white rum; there is no bottled lime mixer or lime wedge muddled into the glass. It is an alcoholic drink made with 40% ABV rum. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Dissolving the sugar before building the drink avoids gritty crystals at the bottom. Pressing rather than grinding the mint keeps the leaves largely intact. Adding cold carbonated water last and stirring briefly preserves the bubbles. Large ice cubes chill the drink while the amount of melted ice will vary.
Before you start · Equipment
Kitchen scale, 50 ml measure or jigger, citrus juicer, fine sieve, small jar, spoon, two sturdy 400–450 ml highball glasses, blunt muddler, bar spoon and clean ice scoop.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 2 cocktails. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
Small plates for cocktail hour
For a shared savory plate, pair a small serving of lemon tahini hummus with pieces of olive oil focaccia with sea salt. Follow those recipes for their own ingredients and allergens, including sesame and wheat. They are food to serve alongside, not ingredients in the mojito.
A colorful spread of vegetables
A plate of golden zucchini and carrot fritters offers a warm option for the table. For a cool contrast, try roasted beet, goat cheese and walnut salad, which adds milk and walnut allergens. Serve these separately and account for their portions outside the drink estimate.
Seafood and citrus at the table
If the evening includes dinner, baked cod tacos with lime yogurt and slaw offer another lime-forward dish. Italian shrimp and calamari salad is a separate chilled seafood option. The drink does not contain seafood or dairy; these optional pairings have their own fish, shellfish and milk considerations.
More ideas for a relaxed dinner
For a cooked centerpiece, save grilled beef and vegetable kebabs. A separate lemon kale and apple salad with pumpkin seeds gives the table a crisp side. Choose portions for your own menu; neither dish is included in the two-cocktail formula or nutrition.
Gentle muddling keeps the mint intact
Aim to bruise the leaves, not turn them into a green paste. Use a sturdy glass and a blunt tool with light pressure. Strained lime juice gives repeatable citrus measures without crushing peel into the drink.
Add the bubbles at the last moment
Keep carbonated water cold and open it shortly before pouring. A few slow turns are enough after topping. Vigorous stirring and a warm mixer flatten the drink faster.
What you can prepare ahead
Make only the small syrup batch ahead and refrigerate it covered for up to 3 days. Squeeze lime and wash mint on serving day, keeping them chilled. Build the drinks just before serving and avoid storing an ice-filled mixed cocktail.
About the nutrition estimate
The calculation includes the sugar, lime juice, mint and plain 80-proof rum, split between two glasses. It counts alcohol energy as well as the other ingredients; calories cannot be inferred from the displayed carbohydrate, protein and fat alone. Plain ice and unsalted carbonated water add no energy. The written source below links to the USDA composition tables used.
About the ingredients
- White rum
Use 100 ml plain white rum labeled 40% ABV / 80 proof, with 50 ml per drink. Unsweetened rum is assumed. Nutrition uses generic 80-proof rum and a documented USDA household-portion conversion from volume to mass; actual brand density can differ.
- Fresh lime juice
The 60 g is strained juice, not whole fruit. Measure 30 g per glass. Whole lime yield varies; bottled sweetened lime cordial is a different ingredient.
- Spearmint
Weigh 6 g edible leaves and tender tips: 4 g for muddling and 2 g for garnish. Press gently to bruise rather than pulverize. Leaf counts are unreliable because sizes vary.
- Cold-stirred syrup
Stir 30 g sugar with 30 g water until fully dissolved. All syrup goes into the two glasses. This is an equal-weight syrup, not a premade 60 ml measure. A stronger commercial syrup needs a different amount.
- Carbonated water and ice
Use 160 g chilled unsweetened carbonated water without added sodium and 300 g clean large ice cubes. Water minerals may vary by brand. Ice adds water without calories; melting changes the final volume and alcohol concentration.
- Measured recipe and additions
There is no salted/sugared rim, lime wedge, fruit puree, tonic, bitters or liqueur. Check the actual rum and mixer labels for ingredients and allergen statements. Food pairings are optional and excluded from the cocktail nutrition.
How to make Fresh Lime and Mint Mojito
Cold-stir sugar with water. Wash mint and limes, measure strained juice and divide mint between two glasses. Add syrup and lime juice, then press the mint gently. Measure the rum, add ice and top with cold carbonated water. Stir lightly and finish with the reserved mint.
1. Dissolve the sugar without heating
2. Prepare fresh lime juice and mint
3. Divide the syrup, lime and mint
4. Press the mint gently and measure the rum
5. Add ice and cold carbonated water
6. Stir lightly, garnish and serve immediatelyWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Fresh Lime and Mint Mojito
A crisp, sparkling white-rum cocktail with fresh lime juice, gently bruised mint and a small batch of cold-stirred sugar syrup. Clear measures for two tall glasses.
Ingredients
0 / 7 readyIngredient amounts for 2 cocktails
Cold-stirred syrup — use the entire batch
Two mojitos
Let’s make it.
- Prepare the syrup and citrus
Dissolve the sugar without heating
Put 30 g white granulated sugar and 30 g room-temperature drinking water in a clean small jar. Stir for 2–4 minutes, scraping the bottom, until no crystals remain and the syrup looks clear. Let it stand briefly and stir again if necessary; do not boil or reduce it. This makes about 60 g syrup, all for these two drinks. Scrape the jar thoroughly so the measured sugar is not left behind. You can prepare the syrup ahead and refrigerate it in a clean covered jar for up to 3 days.
- Prepare the syrup and citrus
Prepare fresh lime juice and mint
Wash the limes and mint under running water, then dry with a clean towel. Squeeze limes and strain out seeds and pulp until you have 60 g juice. The amount of whole fruit needed varies; only the measured juice enters the recipe. Weigh 6 g edible spearmint leaves and tender tips. Reserve 2 g attractive tender tips for finishing and use the remaining 4 g leaves for muddling. Keep the mint cool. Do not add lime peel, wedges, extra fruit or additional garnish.
- Build two cocktails
Divide the syrup, lime and mint
Use two sturdy 400–450 ml highball glasses with enough room for ice and liquid. Divide all the syrup evenly between them, scraping the jar clean, so each gets half the sugar and water. Add 30 g strained lime juice and 2 g muddling mint leaves to each glass. Keep the reserved 2 g mint tips separate for the final step. The glasses should contain only syrup, lime juice and mint at this point.
- Build two cocktails
Press the mint gently and measure the rum
Use a blunt muddler to give the mint in each glass 4–6 gentle presses, just enough to bruise the leaves and release aroma. Do not grind the leaves to fragments, and avoid force against thin glass. Measure 50 ml plain white rum at 40% ABV into each glass, for 100 ml total. Stir briefly to combine with the syrup and lime. Flavored or sweetened rum and higher-proof spirits change the taste, alcohol and nutrition; they are not equivalent substitutions.
- Build two cocktails
Add ice and cold carbonated water
Using a clean scoop, add 150 g drinking-water ice cubes to each glass, for 300 g total. Pour 80 g well-chilled plain unsweetened carbonated water slowly down the inside of each glass, for 160 g total. Use glasses large enough for the full measured drink without overflowing. Do not add tonic, lemonade, grapefruit soda or extra syrup. Carbonated water goes in last; never put a carbonated mixture in a sealed shaker.
- Build two cocktails
Stir lightly, garnish and serve immediately
Lift the liquid from the bottom with a bar spoon and give each drink 2–3 gentle turns so the syrup is distributed without flattening the bubbles. Divide the reserved 2 g mint tips evenly between the glasses. There are no lime slices or extra sugar rims. Serve immediately while cold and sparkling. This is an alcoholic cocktail, not a non-alcoholic drink. Do not batch the ice and bubbles ahead: they dilute and go flat. The estimate uses half of every measured ingredient per glass; ice melt, final volume and finished alcohol concentration are not fixed.
Nutrition per serving
1 of 2 cocktails, including all measured rum, syrup, lime and mint. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 175 kcal
- Protein
- 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17.8 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Saturated fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0.3 g
- Sodium
- 2 mg
Checked 11/6/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
Two alcoholic cocktails, about 15 minutes preparation, with no heating. Dissolve all sugar before dividing the syrup, bruise the mint gently, add the measured rum and ice, then top with cold carbonated water and stir briefly. Use sturdy 400–450 ml glasses; the actual fill level and ice packing vary.
Make it your own
Use plain unsweetened 40% ABV white rum. This is an alcoholic recipe; higher-proof or sweetened spirits change the drink. Tonic, sweetened soda, lime cordial and concentrated commercial syrup require different amounts. Check actual labels and optional food pairings for allergens.
Storage & freezing
Prepare only the plain syrup ahead: keep it in a clean covered jar at 4°C/40°F or below for up to 3 days. Wash mint and squeeze juice on serving day and keep chilled until building. Use fresh clean ice. Assemble the cocktails immediately before serving; avoid storing an ice-filled fizzy batch.
At the table
One serving is half the complete measured recipe. Calories include alcohol energy. The 100 ml rum is estimated as 94 g from the USDA 80-proof rum household portion of 27.8 g per US fluid ounce; actual density and brands vary. All 6 g mint is counted conservatively even if some leaves or garnish are left. Ice dilution, finished volume and finished ABV are not fixed. Food pairings are excluded. Total sugar is omitted because the mint source row has no value; missing data does not mean zero.
A little something delicious.
Keep this recipe close for the next time the craving strikes.
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