Drink in style this summer with this simple, seasonal mocktail. The non-alcoholic mojito is both delicious and easy to customize.
If you want to drink better, impress your friends, or pamper your partner, check out the recipe below. I include several variations, as well.
Non-Alcoholic Mojito Recipe
The mojito is a Cuban drink that dates back to the 1920s. It’s made with rum, mint, simple syrup, lime juice, and soda (or sparkling water). But it’s just as good without the rum!
This simple drink goes by several names: virigin mojito, non-alcoholic mojito, and NA mojito.
Here’s my go-to recipe:
- 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz rich syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 2-3 mint sprigs
- soda
Start by muddling around six mint leaves and the rich syrup in a mixing glass. Then add the lime juice, ice, and shake.
Double strain the drink into a chilled highball glass with fresh ice. Then top with soda. Garnish with a small bundle of mint tops.
Feel free to adjust the recipe above to taste.
Additional Non-Alcoholic Mojito Tips and Tricks
Above is a standardized recipe. But you can tweak this to fit your needs and the tools you have on hand. Here are a few tricks.
First, you don’t have to muddle the mint. If you’re short on time, just add the mint to the cocktail shaker.
Alternatively, you can soak the mint in simple syrup and lime juice. This will extract more minty flavor. This is ideal if you don’t have a shaker and will be stirring the cocktail instead. The best part is, this can be done in the glass you’ll be drinking from. When you’re ready, just add ice, stir, and top with soda.
One thing I do differently is add the soda water before I pour in the chilled mint, lime, and sugar. The bubbles will rise up through the other ingredients. And this means there’s no stirring required to integrate the soda.
Where to Get Fresh Mint?
The virgin mojito is my go-to summer mocktail. Why? Well, I keep several mint plants in my patio garden and indoors. They’re the easiest plant to grow, and they produce a large number of fresh leaves most of the year.
But if you’re not growing your own, look to the grocery store. Many carry this herb, it’s just a matter of finding the freshest stuff possible. Avoid buying mint that is wilted.
You can easily propagate mint from just a single sprig. Just strip the lower leaves from the stem, and place the mint into water. Keep this in your sunniest window and it will thrive. You just have to maintain the water level. Within a few days, it will begin to root. And at that point, you can put it into soil.
A Healthy Non Alcoholic Mojito
If you want to skip the sugar, this drink will taste just as good with artificial sweeteners.
Honey syrup can also be a substitute for simple syrup. To make this, use a 2:3 ratio of warm water to honey. Stir until the honey is fully dissolved.
Virgin Mojito Variations
There are many ways to modify this simple drink. Below are some of the most popular and delicious.
Non-Alcoholic Shiso Mojito Recipe
Using green shiso instead of mint turns this Cuban-inspired mocktail Japanese.
The recipe for this drink is exactly the same as a regular virgin mojito. One or two shiso leaves are all that’s necessary for muddling. And one more shiso leaf should be used as a garnish.
And if you’re interested in the alcoholic version of this cocktail, check out my shiso mojito post. I cover several variations.
Non-Alcoholic Pineapple Mojito Recipe
The addition of pineapple juice takes the non-alcoholic mojito to another level. Below is my preferred recipe.
- 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
- 0.75 oz rich syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 0.75 oz pineapple juice
- 2-3 mint sprigs
- soda
Make the non-alcoholic pineapple mojito the same way as the standard version.
Non-Alcoholic Ginger Mojito Recipe
This is often what I make when I want to impress someone at the bar. The ginger adds a nice spice and integrates perfectly with the other ingredients.
- 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz rich syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 2-3 mint sprigs
- 2 small slices of ginger
- soda
Again, this drink is made almost exactly like the standard virgin mojito. The main difference is muddling the fresh ginger slices with the mint.
Alternatively, add ginger when making the syrup. The heat from the water will extract the ginger’s flavor. But this will take more time than muddling.
Soda Variations
Finally, feel free to swap out the plain club soda for something else.
Sprite and other lemon-lime sodas are popular substitutions. But I recommend scaling back the simple syrup or adding more lime juice. Otherwise, the drink might taste too sweet.
Ginger beer is another excellent substitute for soda water.