Dynamite Rum Mojitos

Cold and refreshing mojitos are a delicious way to enjoy the hot summer sun! You can add many fruits and herbs to mojitos. They’re a fabulous way to enjoy fresh garden ingredients.

Although the name “mojito” came from Cuba—the land of sweltering summer sun—the name itself actually has its roots in the African language. “Mojo” means talisman or magic charm. This is a perfect name for this drink. With a mojito in hand, you can ward off the summertime slump for a refreshing approach to the day!

What is a mojito?

A traditional mojito has just five ingredients: white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and mint. It is a drink that’s both sour and sweet, and the mint leaves are added to complement the rum.

There are a few secrets to a good mojito:

1. Bruise your mint leaves, don’t shred them. You only want to release the essential oils in the leaves, not drink a green smoothie full of kale. All you need to do with the mint is to pound on it a little, which is why a traditional muddler is perfect for mint-bruising.

2. Use a mojito ice cube! You want your mojito to be cold, and on a hot day, ice cubes will melt quickly. Normal ice cubes will just water down your drink before you can drink it all. Instead, use a mojito ice cube consisting of sugar, water, and lime juice. Make your drink heavy on the rum, then add the special ice cubes. As the drink melts, you’ll achieve the perfect sweetness!

You want to use a white rum instead of a dark rum when making a mojito. White rum is young, mild, and light. It has only been aged for about a year, whereas dark rums have been aged for longer and have a much more sophisticated taste.

Typical Mojito Variations

There are a few ways you can vary your traditional mojito. These include:

• Add angostura bitters to the drink. This cuts down on the traditional mojito sweetness.
• Use icing sugar instead of cane sugar. Once again, this cuts down on the sweetness just a little bit without altering the taste. Using demerara sugar gives the drink a little more of a caramel flavor.
• Try adding a dash of a floral liqueur. Rose, elderflower, violet, or iris liqueurs all pair nicely with this garden goodie.
• Add a dash of coconut. You can do this best by using coconut-flavored rum.
• Add fruit. Muddle a small number of strawberries, blueberries, passionfruit, acai berries, pears, raspberries, or oranges to make a variation on the typical mojito.

Best Rum for Mojitos

These are our selections for the best rum to use in mojitos. We’ve sorted them by price, low to high.

Flor de Caña 4 Rum
$15

This pale amber rum has delicious notes of coconut and wood. It has a drier finish than some other sweeter rums. This rum is an ideal choice for any mojito variations that use a hint of coconut.

Bacardi Silver Rum (or Bacardi Superior)
$18

The Bacardi Silver has a nose of almonds and fruit, a smooth and creamy palate, and a dry, clean finish. Pairs exceptionally with mint. Check out a list of exceptional cocktails that use Bacardi Silver.

Appleton White Rum
$18

This Jamaican rum is perfectly clear. It smells crisp and smooth, with hints of banana and vanilla beans. It tastes faintly of anise and toffee. It has a medium finish.

Bayou Silver (or White) Rum
$22

The Bayou Silver is a Louisiana-produced white rum. It has lingering notes of vanilla and banana, with a slight hint of honeysuckle nectar. This rum is an excellent choice for a mojito with a dash of floral liqueur.

Havana Club Añejo Blanco Rum
$24

Made with a special Cuban recipe, the Havana Club has notes of tropical fruits and flowers, layered with hints of vanilla and oak. This rum is made to pair with Sweet Vermouth in a Havana Club Clasico cocktail and some simple, refined daiquiris.

Mount Gay Eclipse Silver Rum
$40

The Mount Gay is a bit more expensive than other brands, but you’re paying for quality and smoothness. It has the aromas of citrus, grapefruit, and butterscotch. It tastes like ripe fruit, toffee, cane, and butterscotch. It has a creamy, balanced finish. The citrus and butterscotch flavors make it pair fantastically with just the faintest hint of fresh fruit in your mojito.

Check Out These Amazing Mojito Recipes

Classic Mojito Recipe

This is the classic recipe that you can perfect. Then you’re ready to experiment with fun variations!

You will need:

• 10 mint leaves
• ½ medium lime, cut into 3 wedges, and divided
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 ½ ounces white rum
• ½ cup club soda

Serves 1. First, to muddle the mint leaves, place all of your mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass that you plan to drink out of. Use a muddler or blunt object to crush the mint and lime in order to release the oil and juice. DO NOT BLEND OR SHRED. Next, add the remaining lime wedges and sugar (decrease the amount if you don’t like sweet drinks). Muddle again. Next, top your lime/mint mixture with ice. Pour the rum into the glass, and then top with club soda. Stir, taste, and add more sugar if needed. Garnish with a mint sprig.  Don’t forget a classy bar tray!

Watermelon Mojito

This mojito recipe is a refreshing summertime drink! Add more or less watermelon depending on how fruity you enjoy your cocktails.

You will need:

• 6 mint leaves, plus additional for garnish.
• ½ cup watermelon, chopped, plus more for garnish.
• 2 ounces white rum
• 1-ounce lime juice
• 1-ounce simple syrup (or maple syrup)
• 2 ounces soda water

Serves 1. First, chop the watermelon. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves. Add the watermelon cubes and muddle again until they are turned into juice. Next, add the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup and fill the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until icy cold. Now, prepare your fabulous drinking glass by adding ice to the glass. Strain your watermelon cocktail mixture into the glass. Top the glass with soda water. Garnish with mint leaves and watermelon wedges.

Pineapple Mojito

Photo Credit to acouplecooks.com

This is bubbly, minty, and artfully simple! The sweet-tart of the fruit balances the tangy lime and sweet, cooling mint perfectly.

You will need:

• Mint leaves for the drink, plus more for garnish
• 2 ounces white rum
• 1-ounce lime juice
• 1-ounce pineapple juice
• 1-ounce simple syrup or maple syrup
• 2-4 ounces of soda water

Serves 1. First, in a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves. Add the rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and simple syrup. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and shake until cold. Next, put ice into a gorgeous glass, and strain the liquid from the shaker into the glass. Top off with soda water. Garnish with additional mint leaves and pineapple wedges. Don’t forget a coaster!

Coconut Mojito

Photo Credit to hosthtetoast.com

This wonderful rum mojito is everything that you want in a tropical drink. It’s fruity, sweet, and creamy, but also balanced and easy to drink thanks to the lime, mint, and fizzy club soda.

You will need:

• Mint leaves, plus some for garnish
• ½ a lime, cut into wedges, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 ½ ounces white rum
• 1 ½ ounces coconut rum
• 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) cream of coconut
• Seltzer water or club soda, to top

Serves 1. First, add the mint leaves, lime wedges, and light brown sugar to a cocktail shaker. Muddle, then add the rum and cream of coconut. Next, fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Finally, strain the mixture into a gorgeous glass. Top with seltzer water or club soda. Garnish with an additional lime wedge and mint sprig.

Use white rum to perfect your classic mojito.

White rum and coconut flavored rums are the best rums to use in a mojito, whether it’s a classic mojito or a tropical variation. The “mojo” of the mojito will work its magic on you quickly, delivering you blissful relaxation!