A Virgin Mojito loses the body and warmth of rum, so the lime-mint base must be slightly stronger and the soda volume controlled.
Ingredients
- 25 ml (0.85 oz) fresh lime juice
- 10-15 ml (0.35-0.5 oz) simple syrup
- 8-10 mint leaves
- 100-120 ml (3.4-4 oz) chilled soda water
- Plenty of firm or crushed ice
Tools
- Tall glass
- Jigger
- Bar spoon or gentle muddler
Method
- Add mint, lime, and syrup to the glass.
- Press mint gently two or three times.
- Fill the glass completely with ice.
- Top with chilled soda.
- Lift once and garnish with a mint sprig.
Replace body, not rum flavor
You do not need rum extract. A little strong chilled tea can give the middle of the drink more structure without pretending to be alcohol.
Mint should stay aromatic
Press the leaves gently with lime and syrup. Grinding them creates bitterness and makes the drink messy to sip.
Keep soda measured
Pouring until the glass is full often doubles the intended dilution. Measure 100 ml first, taste, then add more only if needed.
What goes wrong and how to fix it
- Watery: too much soda or too little lime base. Start at 100 ml soda.
- Bitter mint: leaves were shredded. Press gently.
- Too sweet: reduce syrup before increasing lime.
- Flat: warm soda or repeated stirring released carbonation.
Substitutions
- More body: replace 30 ml soda with strong chilled green or white tea.
- No fresh mint: make a lime soda rather than using large amounts of extract.
- Lower sugar: use 5-10 ml syrup and increase aroma with lime peel.
Cost, time, and difficulty
About US$0.50-2.50 per serving.
FAQ
What is the difference between Mojito and Virgin Mojito?
The Virgin Mojito contains no rum, so it needs careful control of sweetness, acidity, and soda.
Should mint be muddled?
Only gently. Hard muddling releases bitterness.
Can I use lemon instead of lime?
Yes, but the flavor is softer and less characteristic.
Why does mine taste like flavored water?
The soda ratio is too high or the lime-mint base is too weak.