Rumor has it that Sir Francis Drake invented the Cuban cocktail called the mojito in Havana way back in the 1500s. Yes, pirates are involved in the story, and surely we do things a little differently than they did on a pirate ship hundreds of years ago, but the mojito remains one of the classic cocktails. All you need is rum, mint, some lime wedges, and a great sugar for mojitos.
The sweetener is often the unsung hero in this cocktail, so we found a few that are great compliments to the perfect mojito.
Raw Sugar for Cuban Mojitos
Sugar in the Raw Granulated Turbinado
Raw sugar is less processed than granulated, giving it a slightly darker color and richer taste. Using raw sugars in your mojito will give it more depth, but the taste won’t overpower the mint and lime at all.
Our choice is Sugar in the Raw Granulated Turbinado. You can purchase it in a standard-size box or opt for individual packets to make measuring it out for your mojitos even easier.
Granulated Sugar
Anthony’s Organic Cane Sugar
Granulated sugar is the gold standard for a classic mojito. When you muddle it in a highball glass with mint leaves, a few tiny pieces of the granules remain and dissolve as you sip on your drink. We really like Anthony’s Organic for how smoothly it dissolves into the drink.
Anthony’s Organic Cane Sugar is also non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan with no food dyes or preservatives, and it’s USDA Certified organic.
Powdered Sugar
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Powdered Sugar
Powdered sugar isn’t the first one most people reach for when making a pitcher of their favorite mojito recipe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it!
Powdered sugars will dissolve easier when muddled with lime and mint, but you have to be careful because things can easily become overly sweet. The best bet is to start with less and add more sugar for sweetness as needed.
For the best-powdered sugar brand for mojitos, Wholesome Sweeteners wins the prize for their organic powdered sugars. This is a super fine powdered variety that blends really nicely, plus it’s organic and free of corn additives.
Brown Sugar for Mojitos
Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar
Once you taste how refreshing a little brown sugar makes your mojito, you’re going to add it to your regular list of mojito ingredients. Brown sugars actually add a surprising balance to the lime juice,
If you’re looking for this type of sugar to add to your mixture, Wholesome Organic makes a really nice one that has a good molasses flavor without being too rich.
Best Mojito Flavored Sweetened Syrup
Monin Mojito Mix Syrup
This mojito mint sugar syrup combines the flavor of mint and lime with sweetness when you want a simple way to make your favorite mojito. Of course, you can still add the mint and lime, but this takes the flavor up a few notches.
Monin does a great job with their syrups across the board, but this one is really good in our favorite classic rum cocktail.
Recipes for Mojito Sweeteners
Mint-Infused Sugar Recipe
by The Sage
Sometimes, it’s nice to have a special cocktail sugar on hand for when you have friends over or just want to make yourself a special drink. You can find plenty of recipes out there, but this mint-infused recipe is amazing in a mojito.
There are two simple ingredients -granulated white sugar and a mint sprig. You’ll muddle the mint leaves to release their aromatic oils and then mix the mint with the granules.
You could easily use spearmint in this recipe for more intense flavors. We also used the zest from some fresh limes and added that too. This makes for a very sweet and refreshing addition to your mojito cocktails.
Basic Simple Syrup Recipe
by Liquor.com
Classic mojito recipes need some sweetness to balance out the tart flavors and mellow the sting of the rum. Some people prefer to use syrups instead of spooning granules of sweet stuff into their glasses.
If this sounds like you, then this recipe for syrupy sweetness is easy and basic, so you can use it in all of your cocktails.
The full recipe is simple with just water and the sweet stuff, but for some extra flavor, we like to infuse ours with fresh mint, lime juice, or whatever other ingredients you want to toss in there for a creative specialty cocktail mixer.
Best Mojito Recipe
Yerba Buena Mojito
by Liquor.com
One of the most popular mojito recipes is one that deviates from the standard white rum and uses tequila instead.
The classic cocktail from Cuba starts with freshly squeezed lime juice (sticking one of the remaining lime wedges in there never hurts), mint, and agave nectar in a glass. Use a cocktail muddler to get it nice and pulpy.
Next, add ice cubes or crushed ice, tequila, and ginger beer. This mojito recipe creates an incredibly refreshing drink that can be enjoyed any time of year.
Havana Mojito
This recipe makes the perfect mojito look so easy to make. Muddle the sugar, mint, and lime (we like ours with a little extra lime juice). Add some ice and Havana Club Rum. Then top with a splash or two of club soda.
This drink has a perfect balance, and it’s an absolute classic. Don’t forget to garnish with mint and a slice of lime.
The Real Mojito
We adapted this recipe to make an entire pitcher, which is a good thing because one whole drink just wasn’t enough. Smash all the good stuff in the bottom of a pitcher, and make sure to roll the limes in your hands a little so they’ll release more fresh lime juice.
Fill the pitcher with ice, then add white rum and club soda. A sprig or two of mint, and you’ll feel like you’re sipping this in Cuba.
Classic Mojito
This recipe is for those of you who like to use powdered sugars in your mojitos. Plus, it also adds a couple of drops of angostura bitters, which makes it one of our favorite mojito recipes.
Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, smash them up, then add the rum and club soda. You can shake or stir this. It’s great either way. Garnish with mint and lime for the finishing touch.
Bottom Line
There’s more than one way to add sweetness to your mojito, and we just proved you have lots of options. Fill up your glass, sit back, and appreciate the fact that you don’t have to be on a pirate ship to enjoy the classic mojito today.