Curated recipes from 193 countries  •  New seasonal Mediterranean issue out now
Dinner Ideas — Global Recipe Journal
Regions All Regions Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific Browse Atlas

Overview

Mojito

Cuban Mojito, Mojito Cubano

This mojito recipe muddles fresh mint and lime with sugar, adds white rum and tops it with soda water over crushed ice. One serving is one tall glass, about 368 g. It is the Cuban highball long linked with Havana's La Bodeguita del Medio — bright, minty and ice-cold, made for hot evenings.

Havana, Cuba, is the birthplace of the mojito, although its exact origin is debated. The usual story traces it to a 16th-century mix of crude cane spirit, lime, sugar-cane juice and mint, said to be named El Draque after Sir Francis Drake. The modern version — white rum, lime, mint, sugar and soda water — took shape in Havana's bars in the early 1900s. It has long been presented as a favourite of Ernest Hemingway, and the bar La Bodeguita del Medio is famous for the line 'My mojito in La Bodeguita', though Hemingway's biographers doubt he wrote it. In 2016 the mojito was the most popular cocktail in Britain and France.

Pairs well with: Cuban sandwich, tostones and lime wedges, with a glass of water

Provenance

Cuba flag Cuba

Havana Bar Classic

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

10m

10m prep • 0m cook

Batch Yield

1 Servings

182 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 368 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (No Cooking)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Inappropriate

Dinner

Inappropriate

Snack & Tea

Ideal Light Bite

Occasions: Summer evenings, barbecues, parties, aperitif hour — adults only Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Sweet Sour Vegetarian
A tall glass of mojito with crushed ice and fresh mint

Havana Bar Classic

Photo: Varshesh, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

A true mojito is built in the glass: mint and lime gently muddled, white rum, soda and crushed ice — never shaken, never blended.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 10m
P

Prep Stage: Lime, Mint and a Tall Glass

10 Mins • Cutting & Measuring

Cut the lime into 6 wedges and pick 8-10 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish. Measure the rum, sugar and soda water, and crush the ice — a tea towel and a rolling pin work well. Chill the tall glass in the freezer for 5 minutes so the drink stays cold.

Maestro Tip: Use fresh mint, not dried — dried mint tastes dusty and will not give the drink its fresh green flavour.

  1. 1

    Muddle the Mint, Lime and Sugar

    3 Mins No heat

    Put the mint leaves, 4 lime wedges and the sugar in the tall glass. Press gently with a muddler 4-5 times, just enough to bruise the mint and squeeze the lime — the leaves should stay whole, not shredded. You should smell fresh mint and lime.

    Press, do not grind — shredded mint turns bitter and floats in dark flecks.

    Done when: The sugar is damp with lime juice and the glass smells of fresh mint.

  2. 2

    Add the Rum and Stir

    1 Min No heat

    Pour in the white rum and stir for about 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar and lift the mint leaves up from the bottom of the glass.

    Stir until you cannot feel sugar grains at the bottom — undissolved sugar makes the last sips gritty.

    Done when: The sugar is dissolved and the mint is floating through the drink.

  3. 3

    Fill with Crushed Ice

    1 Min Ice-cold, about 0°C (32°F)

    Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice, pushing it down gently so the glass is packed full. Crushed ice chills the drink fast and melts slowly enough to keep it cold without watering it down at once.

    Pack the ice in tight — a loose fill melts fast and the drink turns watery.

    Done when: The glass is full of ice to the rim.

  4. 4

    Top with Soda and Stir

    1 Min Serve ice-cold, about 4°C (39°F)

    Pour the soda water over the ice to fill the glass, then stir once or twice from the bottom with a long spoon, just enough to mix the drink without flattening the fizz.

    Stir gently and only once or twice — hard stirring drives the bubbles out.

    Done when: The drink is mixed, pale green and fizzing, with ice to the rim.

  5. 5

    Garnish and Serve

    1 Min Serve ice-cold, about 4°C (39°F)

    Slap the mint sprig between your palms to wake up its scent, tuck it into the glass with the remaining lime wedges, and add a straw. Serve at once, while the ice is still crunchy and the soda is still fizzing.

    Slapping the mint releases its oils without bruising the leaves — it smells far stronger than a sprig dropped in flat.

    Done when: A tall, ice-cold glass, green with mint and lime, ready to drink.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve ice-cold, in a tall glass, while the soda is still fizzing — a mojito waits for no one.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

182

kcal / serving

Protein

1g

Complete AA

Carbs

15g

Complex

Fats

0g

Healthy

Per serving (1 servings · 1 serving ≈ 368 g)
Energy182 kcal
Protein1 g
Carbohydrates15 g
Fat0 g
Fibre1.9 g
Sugar9.0 g
Sodium8 mg
Per 100g
Energy49 kcal
Protein0.1 g
Carbohydrates3.9 g
Fat0 g
Fibre0.5 g
Sugar2.4 g
Sodium2 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C from the lime, small amounts of vitamin A and iron from the mint, and potassium from the lime. Nutrition is estimated.

Fresh Lime for Vitamin C

The lime in each glass adds vitamin C and a bright, fresh flavour with no syrup needed.

Mint Without Calories

Fresh mint gives the drink its flavour for about 1 kcal — the taste comes from leaves, not from extra sugar.

Lighter Than Creamy Cocktails

At about 182 kcal a glass, a mojito is lighter than creamy cocktails such as a piña colada, which can carry twice the energy.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Cuban Sandwich

A pressed Cuban sandwich is the classic partner — its salty pork and cheese stand up to the cold, minty drink.

Tostones

Crisp twice-fried plantains with a little salt are made for sipping alongside — crunchy, salty and easy to share.

Ceviche

Cold, lime-cured fish with onion echoes the lime in the glass and keeps the whole table light and fresh.

Drinks

A Glass of Water Between Drinks

Water between cocktails keeps the evening lighter and the next glass tasting fresh — a simple habit that makes a real difference.

Complete menu

Serve a mojito with a Cuban sandwich and tostones, then fresh fruit — a Havana evening, with water on the table between drinks.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Driving After Drinking

This drink contains about 19 g of alcohol, which impairs driving — never drive after drinking, even after one glass. This is general information, not medical advice.

Drinking on an Empty Stomach

Alcohol is absorbed faster on an empty stomach, so the drink hits harder — eat something first, such as a sandwich or tostones. This is general information, not medical advice.

Mixing Drinks

Mixing rum with other spirits makes it harder to keep track of how much alcohol you have had — keep to mojitos, and keep count. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsFor adults of legal drinking age only — one glass is about 182 kcal and contains about 19 g of alcohol, so one glass is enough for most evenings.
  • ChildrenNot suitable for children — this drink contains alcohol.
  • ElderlyAlcohol affects older adults more strongly — keep to one small glass and ask your clinician.
  • Pregnant womenNot suitable during pregnancy — alcohol can harm the baby; ask your clinician.
  • Breastfeeding womenNot suitable while breastfeeding — alcohol passes into breast milk; ask your clinician.
  • AthletesAlcohol slows recovery and disturbs sleep — skip it on training days.
  • Weight gainAbout 182 kcal a glass, mostly from alcohol and sugar — it adds energy without filling you up.
  • Weight lossAlcohol calories add up fast — one glass is enough, and water between drinks helps.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesSugar and alcohol can both affect blood sugar — keep to one glass and ask your clinician about your portion.
  • High blood pressureAlcohol can raise blood pressure — keep to one glass or skip it, and ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseAlcohol adds fluid and strain for the kidneys — ask your clinician whether any alcohol fits your plan.
  • GoutAlcohol can trigger gout flares — ask your clinician before drinking.
  • Stomach issuesAlcohol and lime acidity can irritate a sensitive stomach — drink with food, and ask your clinician if it keeps bothering you.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseAlcohol affects the heart — keep to one glass or skip it, and ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverAlcohol is a leading cause of fatty liver — avoid this drink and ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains no major allergens. Free from milk, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish, soy and shellfish. The rum is distilled from sugar cane.
  • Special therapeutic dietsAsk your clinician or dietitian before drinking — most therapeutic diets exclude alcohol.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Drink at once — a mojito is built to be served immediately.
In the fridge
Without ice, the mixed drink keeps 1 day in a sealed jar in the fridge, but the mint wilts and the fizz fades.
In the freezer
Not recommended — freezing ruins the mint and the soda.
How to reheat
Do not heat — serve ice-cold.
Freezing recommended
No — the texture and flavour do not survive freezing.
Signs it has spoiled
Flat with no fizz, brown mint leaves, or a stale lime smell — make a fresh one.

More recipes to explore

A plate of ropa vieja, shredded beef in tomato sauce, with yellow rice, black beans and fried plantains Cuba flag Cuba 3h
Dinner •Cuba's National Dish

Ropa Vieja

This ropa vieja recipe braises flank steak low and slow until it falls into long shreds, then simmers it in a tomato, pepper and olive sauce. One serving is about 310 g. Serve it over white rice with black beans and fried plantains, the way Cuban families do.

Comfort & Warmth

Slow-braised shredded beef in a tomato and pepper sauce, served with rice and black beans.

Pairs Well With
White rice, black beans and fried plantains
High Protein
A pressed Cuban sandwich cut in half, with melted Swiss cheese and layers of ham and pork, served with pickle spears Cuba flag Cuba 25m
Lunch •Havana Classic

Cuban Sandwich

This cuban sandwich recipe layers mojo roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread, then presses it flat until the crust crackles and the cheese melts. One serving is about 345 g. It is a great use for leftover roast pork and comes together in 25 minutes.

Comfort & Warmth

A pressed sandwich of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread.

Pairs Well With
Plantain chips and a cold lager or lime soda
A plate of dark moros y cristianos rice cooked with black beans, served with slices of roast pork and golden fried plantains Cuba flag Cuba 1h 30m
Lunch •Cuban Heritage

Moros y Cristianos

This moros y cristianos recipe cooks Cuban black beans and rice together in one pot: dried black beans simmered until tender, then long-grain rice cooked in the dark bean liquid with a sofrito of onion, green pepper and garlic, cumin, oregano and bay leaf. The grains come out dark, fragrant and fluffy, never pale or plain. One serving is about 272 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Cuban black beans and white rice cooked together in one pot with sofrito, cumin, oregano and bay leaf, until the grains turn dark.

Pairs Well With
Roast pork or ropa vieja with fried sweet plantains and a crisp cabbage salad, the classic Cuban plate.
A plate of Cuban lechon asado with shredded mojo pork, onions and lime, yellow rice with black beans and fried plantains Cuba flag Cuba 5h 30m
Dinner •Havana Heritage

Cuban Lechon Asado

This cuban lechon asado recipe marinates a pork shoulder overnight in mojo — sour orange juice, a whole head of garlic, oregano and cumin — then roasts it low and slow until the meat is so tender it pulls apart with a fork. It is the centrepiece of Nochebuena, the Cuban Christmas Eve feast, and it is nothing like Filipino lechon: there is no whole crispy-skinned pig here, just a mojo-soaked shoulder roast. One serving is about 250 g.

Celebration & Sharing

A whole pork shoulder marinated overnight in sour-orange mojo, then roasted low and slow until it pulls apart — the centrepiece of Nochebuena.

Pairs Well With
Shredded mojo pork with black beans, yellow rice and fried plantains
High Protein

The Dinner Gazette

Never wonder what’s for dinner again

One email a week with easy dinner ideas from around the world — ingredients, steps and nutrition, tested in our kitchen first.

Delivered every Thursday morning. Unsubscribe anytime.