The Mojito is one of those drinks that people never stop ordering, and for good reason. Lime, mint, and sugar with a splash of rum and soda. That’s the whole recipe, and every part of it matters. The mint should be fresh, the lime should be squeezed by hand, and the rum alternative needs enough character to hold its own against those bright flavors.

Why muddling technique matters

The biggest mistake people make with a Mojito is over-muddling the mint. You want to press the leaves gently against the sugar, just enough to bruise them and release their aromatic oils. If you tear them apart or grind them to a pulp, the drink picks up a bitter, grassy taste that overpowers everything else. A few firm presses, three or four at most, is all it takes.

The sugar plays a double role here. It sweetens the drink, but it also acts as an abrasive that helps extract flavor from the mint when you muddle. If you’d rather use simple syrup, skip the muddling step with sugar and just add the syrup after the mint.

Choosing your rum alternative

Lyre’s White Rum brings a clean sweetness with subtle vanilla and tropical fruit notes that work well in a drink where the spirit needs to blend, not dominate. Ritual Zero Proof Rum is another solid option with a bit more warmth and body. Either one will give you something close to the real thing.

If you’re coming from the Strawberry Mojito and want to try the original, this is it. The classic version lets the mint and lime stand on their own, which is a different kind of refreshing altogether.

Variations worth trying

Add a handful of muddled strawberries, blueberries, or watermelon chunks before building the drink. Swap the granulated sugar for honey or agave syrup for a slightly different sweetness. For a spicier take, add two or three thin slices of fresh ginger to the muddle. Each version still reads as a Mojito, just with its own personality.