The Mojito is one of those drinks that everyone has had and almost no one has had made well. The classic Havana version is bright, herbal, dry, and bracing. The version most bars pour is muddled-mint-soup with too much sugar. The difference is technique, not recipe.

Ingredients

  • White rum 50ml
  • Fresh lime juice 25ml
  • 2 teaspoons demerara sugar (or 15ml simple syrup)
  • 8-10 fresh mint leaves
  • Soda water to top
  • Crushed ice
  • Mint bouquet and lime wheel to garnish

Method

  1. Mint, sugar, lime juice in the bottom of a tall glass.
  2. Muddle gently. Press the mint to release oils without tearing the leaves (torn mint goes bitter).
  3. Add rum. Fill with crushed ice.
  4. Stir vigorously. Top up with more crushed ice as it settles.
  5. Top with soda. Mint bouquet on top, lime wheel on the side.

Why most Mojitos fail

Over-muddled mint. Aggressive muddling tears the mint leaves and releases the bitter compounds in the leaf veins. Gentle press only.

Too much sugar. A Mojito with proper rum needs less sugar than the standard 1-tablespoon recipe. Start with 2 teaspoons; you can add more, you cannot remove.

Bad rum. Bacardi Superior is fine but a slightly better white rum (Havana Club 3 Year, Plantation 3 Stars) makes the drink noticeably better. The Mojito has nowhere to hide a thin rum.

Cube ice instead of crushed. The Mojito needs crushed ice, both for the right melting curve and for the visual.

Variations worth pouring

Calamansi Mojito. Swap lime for fresh calamansi. The Malaysian-local version we pour. See best Malaysian cocktails.

Tropical Mojito. Add 30ml fresh pineapple juice. A tiki-leaning twist.

Dark and Stormy Mojito (aka Cuban Sidecar). Float dark rum on top after building. Adds depth.

Related

Frequently asked questions

What glass is the Mojito served in?

A tall Collins glass, filled with crushed ice, topped with a mint bouquet and a lime wheel on the side. The crushed ice does the chilling and the slow dilution; the tall glass holds the volume of a long drink. A short rocks glass cannot work for a Mojito.

Can I substitute the white rum?

Stay with white rum, but quality matters. Bacardi Superior is the baseline. Havana Club 3 Year, Plantation 3 Stars, or Don Q Cristal all make noticeably better Mojitos. Aged rum gives you a Dark Mojito or a Cuban Sidecar; not the same drink. Avoid Jamaican high-funk white rums (Wray & Nephew); the funk fights the mint.

How strong is the Mojito?

Around 10 to 13 percent ABV in the glass after the crushed-ice melt and the soda top. The drink is long format (around 250ml in the glass), so the 50ml of rum is well diluted. Built to be sipped slow across 25 to 30 minutes on a warm afternoon. Three Mojitos and you'll feel them, but one is genuinely refreshing.

Where can I order a Mojito in PJ or KL?

Off-menu but always available at Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya (43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Tue to Sun 15:00 to 01:00, WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607) and at Soluble Solids in SS2, Petaling Jaya (50-1 Jalan SS2/24, Wed to Sun 18:00 to 01:00, WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651). Both bars are in Tatler Asia Top 20 Bars 2025/26. We muddle gently, never over. Ask for the calamansi version for a Malaysian take.

What food pairs with the Mojito?

Cuban food first: ropa vieja, lechon, ham croquettes. More broadly: ceviche, grilled white fish, salt-and-pepper squid, fresh oysters. For Malaysian context, ikan bakar, grilled prawns with sambal, or a plate of chilli crab. The mint and lime cut through fat and chilli. Avoid creamy or heavy dishes; the drink is built to lift, not anchor.