Virgin Mojito
Mint in a mojito should give up its oils, not break into shreds. Pound it hard and the chlorophyll comes out with the aroma, leaving a green bitterness in the glass. So the leaves only get pressed against the bottom a few times. Sparkling water always goes in last, and never gets stirred hard.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 2
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 60 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Lemon stands in for lime, but its juice is sharper — use a third less and a little more sugar.
Makes: about 700 ml, 2 glasses
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prepare the limes
Cut one lime into four wedges and squeeze the juice from the other. The wedges also release the faintly bitter oil from the skin, which is exactly what this drink wants.
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Step 2: Dissolve sugar in juice
Put a spoonful of sugar in each glass and pour the lime juice over it. Stir until the crystals disappear; sugar will not dissolve later in iced fizzy water.
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Step 3: Press the mint
Add the mint leaves and press them gently against the base a few times with a muddler or the handle of a spoon. The leaves should stay intact — torn mint tastes bitter.
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Step 4: Add the lime wedges
Drop in the lime wedges and give them one more short press, so they release juice along with the oil from the peel.
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Step 5: Pack with ice
Fill both glasses to the top with crushed ice. Crushed chills far faster than cubes, which is precisely why mojitos use it.
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Step 6: Top with water
Pour the ice-cold sparkling water in slowly and lift once with a spoon from the bottom. Vigorous stirring knocks the bubbles out and flattens the drink within a minute.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Crush the ice just before serving: small pieces refreeze into one solid lump within the hour.
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Variation
A few strawberries or slices of cucumber pressed along with the mint make the two easiest variations on the same drink.
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Swap
Lemon stands in for lime, but its juice is sharper — use a third less and a little more sugar.
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Storage
Mojitos are not kept. You can make a mint and lime syrup ahead and add the water only as you pour.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 2 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 60 kcal | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g | 30 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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