The mojito needs no introduction, but the best ones always feature a fabulous rum. Everyone has their preferences, but these ten options for the best rum for mojitos will never disappoint. Let’s dive in with a short history of the mojito cocktail and then take a tour of the best rums for a perfect drink.
A Short History
The mojito originated in Cuba and was originally made using white rum, sugar cane, lime, mint leaves, and soda water. While many cocktails came about during prohibition, the mojito has a much more interesting history.
It is thought that the British went ashore in Cuba, knowing they had indigenous remedies for tropical illnesses, to seek medicine for the men aboard the boat.
The British returned to the boat with “aguardiente” – an early version of rum mixed with sugarcane and mint, perhaps to mask the burning taste of the aguardiente, while lime was perhaps added to prevent/ease the effects of scurvy and dysentery.
By 1650, the British had access to tafia and rum – both originating from Haiti – which was also mixed with mint, lime, and sugar to help disguise the strong rum taste, the base of the popular cocktail.
Choosing The Best Rum for Mojitos
Finding the perfect rum for mojitos, more often than not, comes down to taste. Some people love a dark rum, like Havana Club, while others prefer the refreshing cocktail taste provided with a classic white rum and others rums with rich vanilla characteristics like Mount Gay.
Once you know your preference, it’s a lot easier to find the best rum for your favorite mojito. Of course, a better quality rum will produce a better quality cocktail – and the higher quality spirit will also lower your risk of a killer hangover.
But what are the best rums for mojitos?
10 of the Best Rums for Your Mojitos
Best Rum for Mojitos
Bacardi Superior White Rum
Bacardi is the most well-known white rum and is the classic rum used in most mojitos- wherever you are in the world.
Bacardi Silver rum is a relatively cheap but high-quality rum and will create that mojito taste you’re used to if you drink mojitos in a bar. The rum has light vanilla and cooked sugar notes.
Best Aged Rum for Mojitos
The Real McCoy Single Blended 3-Year Aged White Rum
Some white rums are not aged, like Bacardi, for example. However, you can still find great aged rums that will transform the flavor profile of your mojito, providing a unique taste not found with other rums.
The Real McCoy is aged three years and is one of the best rums for making an awesome mojito on a hot summer day. The rum has subtle white pepper notes that will add depth to your mojito.
Best Caribbean Rum
Mount Gay Rum Eclipse
Mount Gay rum is produced by master distiller Mount Gay Distilleries in Barbados and is the oldest surviving rum distillery in the world – so they know a thing or two about good rum.
Eclipse rum has vanilla and banana notes that compliment the mint and lime flavors in a mojito creating a more full-bodied flavor than your classic mojito that has a light body.
Cruzan Aged Light Rum
Cruzan Light Rum is one of the favorite rums to use in mojitos. The rum is aged in American white oak barrels and is a much heavier-bodied rum than the classic white rum usually used in mojitos.
Vanilla overtones come from American oak barrels giving the aged light rum a light but full-bodied taste.
Havana Club Anejo Blanco
Havana Club Anejo Blanco is a classic silver rum with vanilla notes. Rums aged in oak barrels always have a vanilla taste, and Havana Club is perhaps one of the most famous. Distilled in the Foursquare distillery in Cuba, there isn’t a more authentic rum.
Banks 5 Island Rum
Banks 5 Island Rum is a rich rum that takes influence from Jamaican rum, Trinidad rum, and Guayanan rum to create a unique-tasting rum with notes of vanilla and dark chocolate.
Rhum Barbancourt White Rum
Rhum Barbancourt rum has subtle spice notes and is best served on its own to sample the distinct flavor. The Probitas Blended White Rum is the first blend from separate distilleries in Jamaica and Barbados.
El Dorado 3 Year
El Dorado 3-Year goes through a unique aging process. The white rum is twice-filtered through natural charcoal, changing the color and providing cocoa, dark chocolate, and bitter molasses notes.
Flor de Cana
Flor de Cana 4 dry silver rum won the gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and is known for its subtle notes of vanilla and molasses. The rum has no added sugar and is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, providing tropical notes alongside the hints of vanilla and molasses.
Plantation 3 Stars
Plantation 3 stars rum starts as a dark rum, aged in French oak and filtered, giving it the appearance of a white rum.
Plantation 3 stars has no strong underlying flavors making it perfect for cocktail recipes like mojitos or pina coladas without taking over the overall flavor profile of the cocktail.
What to Look for in a Rum for Mojitos
When choosing the best rums for mojitos, most people – including bartenders – will opt for a white rum with a classic flavor profile. However, this doesn’t mean to say darker rums – such as Havana Club – shouldn’t be used in mojito cocktails.
When it comes to choosing the best rum for your mojitos, the choice is yours – however, it’s always a good idea to only choose quality recommended rums. Cheap rum is often cut with a lot of sugar cane, making it a great catalyst for a killer hangover!
White vs. Light vs. Dark Rum for Mojitos
White rums are what are classically used in Mojito recipes; however – dark or aged rums that have a more complex flavor and are often favored by rum lovers in mojito recipes.
Flavor Profile
All rums will have a different flavor profile, depending on how and where they’re made and how long they are aged. Most rums have a traditional vanilla flavor from the barrels, while others will have oak flavors – especially when aged.
Molasses are another strong contender when it comes to rum’s flavor profiles; often used in dark rums instead of sugar cane, molasses can taste “bitter” to some people.
For those of you new to drinking rum, choosing a rum with floral notes will ease you into rum, and you can go from there!
Crafting the Perfect Mojito
Mojito Ingredients
The mojito cocktail is a simple recipe involving just five ingredients and ice.
- A good rum-white is more traditional, but dark or aged rums work just as well.
- Soda water/club soda
- Sugar cane or simple syrup (you can use sugar cane or brown sugar to make your own)
- Fresh mint (in a pinch, mint liqueur would work, but fresh mint is a lot better)
- Fresh lime juice/limes.
You will need the following:
Making mojitos is easy – even if you don’t have any cocktail-making equipment.
While a muddler and a long spoon will help, you can make it work with whatever you can find in your kitchen. If you don’t have a muddler, the pestle from your pestle and mortar can replace it.
If you don’t have either – you could definitely use a fork or spoon to release the juice from the limes and mix it with the sugar. Long spoons work best to mix a mojito, but a blunt knife would work – you just have to get creative.
While mojitos are commonly stirred, not shaken, in a pinch, you could place everything in an airtight container – such as a mason jar or traditional cocktail shaker. – just remember to add the carbonated water after it’s shaken!
Flavored Mojitos
A flavored mojito is perfect for those of you who want a little more sweetness in your cocktail. A mojito is transformed with the sweetness provided by a fruit element when you use real tropical fruits or tropical fruit juices – especially when combined with the tart lime components.
Cojito
The cojito – or the coconut mojito – uses the exact same recipe as the original – but with a big coconut kick. There are two ways to make a Cojito, with just the right amount of coconut coming through in the cocktail.
Your first choice is to add a coconut liqueur to your cocktail to help incorporate the tropical flavor – and the second, simply choose a coconut rum, like malibu, instead of a classic one. A cojito is like a refreshing version of a pina colada without heavy cream.
Mint-Free Mojitos
Maybe you’ve run out; maybe it’s not the season, or maybe you think mint is meant for toothpaste and absolutely nothing else – whatever your reasoning for not using mint in your mojito, there are plenty of other options to enjoy.
Firstly, you could skip the mint – but if you’re looking for a replacement, you can experiment with just about every garden herb available.
Virgin Mojitos
Virgin mojitos or “nojitos” are mojitos without any rum. Otherwise, they are made as an original mojito is; some bartenders choose to add a neutral fruit juice (like apple), while others will replace the rum with Sprite or extra soda water.
Virgin Mojitos are a great way to include children and those who abstain from alcohol – without meaning they have to stick to sugary, carbonated drinks all night.
FAQs
What is the best rum for mojitos?
Silver rums tend to work best in mojitos. Bacardi Silver is a good choice, well-liked, and stocked in practically every bar.
Is a mojito better with white or dark rum?
You can’t go wrong with either white or dark rum in a mojito, but clear rum is the traditional favorite.
Is Bacardi white rum good for a mojito?
Bacardi white rum is one of the preferred spirits for mojitos. It’s clean and offers perfect flavor notes to compliment the mint and lime. It’s also a budget-friendly rum that tastes higher-end.
Is Malibu rum good for mojitos?
Traditional mojitos feature white rum, but there’s nothing wrong with adding some new flavors to the classic drink. The coconut flavor of Malibu rum is a great compliment to the lime and mint in mojitos.
