Love easy summer cocktails? Then try my Blood Orange Mojito and Red Wine Sangria!
Homemade Mint Mojitos
The start of summer means sunshine, warm weather and theses Classic Mint Mojitos. They are so light and refreshing and perfect for cooling off on a hot Summer night! I love tripling this recipe to make for a crowd! I make my mojito a bit differently than others. Instead of plopping the sugar in the drink, I make a simple syrup. A simple syrup is a mixture of sugar and water that gets simmered. Once the water is hot the sugar will dissolve. Now you won’t have all of the sugar at the bottom of your glass. Your mojito will be sweet throughout! I also like to muddle my lime and mint together instead of just squeezing the lime juice into the glass. It extracts as much flavor and juice from the lime as possible. It also helps the mint release it’s natural oils. I like to leave the squeezed lime wedges and muddled mint in the drink for presentation. If you are not a fan of the mint and lime in your drink simply strain out before adding in the seltzer.
What’s in a Mojito?
Simple syrup: Made from sugar dissolved in equal parts hot to boiling water. Fresh mint: I prefer to use spearmint. If your mint is not looking super fresh try reviving it in cold water for a few minutes to help perk it up. Lime wedges: Fresh squeezed is preferred over bottled lime juice! White rum: Clear white rum is best! Make sure to choose a good quality rum. Sparkling water: Is added at the end to top off our glass.
how to make a mojito
This simple cocktail is super easy to make!
Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar dissolves. Takes about 1-2 minutes to dissolve. Take off of heat and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, add mint and lime in a small pitcher or large glass. Muddle together for about a minute until all of the juice is squeezed out of the lime and the oils have released from the mint.
Add cooled simple syrup and rum to the mint and lime. Fill each glass with ice. Pour half of the mojito mixture into each glass. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with extra sprigs of mint leaves and enjoy!
kelley’s tips
Choose high quality rum: This makes a huge difference! Don’t over muddle: This will cause the mint to turn bitter and slimy. I only muddle for a couple seconds. Just enough to extract the juice from the limes and release the oils in the mint. Make it your own: One of the best things about making a mojito at home is that you can adjust it to your own taste. If you want it sweeter add more simple syrup. More alcohol add a splash more of rum.
