Looking for a refreshing drink ... without the alcohol? Then, you have to try this Virgin Mojito!
With one sip, this delicious mocktail is sure to become a summer favorite. Best of all, you only need to four ingredients and five minutes to make it!
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I don't know about you, but I love a Classic Mojito Cocktail! It's pretty much the BEST summer drink.
Of course, there are plenty of occasions where it's preferable to skip the rum found in the traditional recipe. And that's where this amazing Virgin Mojito Mocktail comes in!
Whether you don't drink (or are just taking an afternoon off), pregnant or nursing, try to save a few calories, or skipping the booze for any other reason, you are going to LOVE this drink.
This easy recipe has all of the wonderful, thirst quenching flavor of the original drink, but it's alcohol free. And with its delightful, lightly sweetened, minty-lime taste, you won't miss the rum one bit!
Ready to try this twist on the classic for yourself? You'll find all the mouthwatering details below!
About the Recipe
The Mojito cocktail was invented in Havana, Cuba, although its exact origins are a little muddled.
If you've tasted one before, then you know that the fresh, bright flavors are what make this drink so memorable. It's the perfect lightly-sweetened combination of citrus and mint.
The original cocktail calls for rum, but for this recipe, I'm going to show you how to make a non alcoholic Mojito Mocktail ... aka the Nojito. It may be missing the rum, but it's just as delicious as the classic drink.
This drink is truly refreshing. You'll probably want to sip it year round, but it's especially ideal for cooling off after a long, hot summer day!
Ingredients
This alcohol free drink might look fancy, but the recipe uses really basic ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Fresh Mint
- Fresh Lime
- Granulated Sugar
- Club Soda (or Sparkling Water, such as Topo Chico)
And that's it! These are the same ingredients you'll find in the original recipe (minus the rum) ... which means that it tastes very similar to the classic drink.
If you'd prefer, you can swap out the sugar for simple syrup. You could also replace the sugar and club soda with lemon-lime soda or Sprite, although that will give the finished drink a different, sweeter flavor.
You'll Also Need
For this drink, you’ll also need a muddler, jigger (optional), and bar spoon (or another narrow, long-handled spoon). If you don't have a muddler, you can use the end of a wood spoon instead. The drink is typically served in a highball or Collins glass, although you could also use a mason jar, like I did for these photos.
How to make a Virgin Mojito
This drink is super simple to make, so let's get started.
Begin by cutting a large, juicy lime into eight wedges. Squeeze four of the wedges into your glass, then drop the wedges into the glass (save the remaining lime for another drink). To that, add three level bar spoons of sugar, plus an ounce of club soda.
If you don't have a jigger, just add a generous splash of the club soda. The exact measurements are not that important here.
Then, take your muddler and gently press and twist the ingredients together a few times. There's no need to pulverize anything ... you're simply trying to extract the juice and combine the ingredients a bit.
Tip: this Nojito isn't super sweet. If you prefer your drinks on the sweeter side, feel free to add additional sugar to taste.
Next, you'll prepare the mint. And I have a fun trick for doing it!
Most Mojito recipes call for muddling the mint with the lime and other ingredients. However, if you're not careful (or perhaps a little too vigorous), your drink can end up tasting bitter. Not to mention all those pesky little mint pieces may end up stuck in your teeth later. And that's never fun!
Here's a unique trick for bruising the mint (that I learned from the pros at Bacardí) that's so simple and clever! Simply stack the leaves in your palm (you'll need 12 small to medium leaves), then smack them with your other hand about five to six times ... or until the leaves are fragrant.
Once you can smell that wonderful mint fragrance, rub the leaves over the rim of your glass. Then, drop them into your drink.
To finish the drink, fill the glass with ice, then top it off with more club soda.
Grab your bar spoon, and stir vigorously. You'll know you're done, when the drink becomes whitish / cloudy, as you can see in the photo below.
And that's all there is to it. Almost time to start sipping your beautiful mocktail, but don't forget the garnish!
Garnishing the Finished Drink
While this Virgin Mojito is delicious as is, a pretty garnish is the perfect finishing touch!
My favorite way to garnish this refreshing drink is with a generous sprig of mint (which smells amazing as you sip), along with a lime wheel or wedge.
For an extra special touch, you can add stripes to your limes, like I did with mine. To do so, simply run a citrus zester along the lime (from end to end) before slicing.
Recipe Variations
Once you've mastered the basic drink, you can get creative by experimenting with other flavors. Here are some easy ideas:
- Strawberry - Quarter three large strawberries, then muddle along with the lime and sugar.
- Blueberry - Muddle ½ cup blueberries with the other ingredients.
- Mango - Peel and dice one large mango, then puree it in a food processor. After muddling the other ingredients, stir in ¼ cup mango puree (one mango makes enough puree for two to three drinks). Stir, then add mint and ice. Top with club soda and mix well. You may also use mango nectar, just keep in mind that it's probably already sweetened.
- Watermelon - Add ½ cup diced watermelon to the lime and sugar, then muddle together.
- Pineapple - Muddle ¼ cup diced fresh pineapple with the other ingredients. After adding the mint, stir in ½ cup pineapple juice, then add ice and top off with club soda. Stir well.
- Raspberry - Add ½ cup raspberries to the lime and sugar, then muddle together.
- Passion Fruit - Stir in ¼ cup passion fruit puree after muddling the other ingredients. You can purchase premade puree or make your own by blending fresh fruit in a food processor. If you do use fresh fruit, save the seeds for a garnish ... they look super pretty sprinkled over the finished drink.
- Pomegranate - Mix in ¼ cup pomegranate juice before adding the mint.
- Coconut - Use a coconut flavored sparkling water, such as La Croix or Bai Bubbles, instead of club soda. Just keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of sugar in the finished drink, depending on how sweet the sparkling water is.
- Citrus - Try adding extra lime juice, or add in other citrus like lemons, oranges, or grapefruit. Depending on how tart your citrus is, you may need to add additional sugar.
- Sweetener - Replace with granulated sugar with demerara or brown sugar for a richer flavor or with simple syrup for a fewer sugar crystals in the finished drink.
- Club Soda Alternative - Swap in sparkling or mineral water for the club soda (I like Topo Chico), or use a lemon-lime soda or Sprite for a drink with a different, sweeter flavor.
Related Recipes
Looking for more alcohol free drinks? Try one of these refreshing recipes next!
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water
- Watermelon Juice
- Mint Peach Green Tea Cooler
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Iced Ginger Melon Green Tea
- Watermelon Punch
Virgin Mojito
Ingredients
- 1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges
- granulated sugar
- club soda (or sparkling water)
- 12 mint leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Squeeze 4 lime wedges into a highball or Collins glass, then drop wedges into glass. Add 3 level bar spoons of sugar and 1 ounce club soda to glass.
- Using a muddler, press and twist ingredients together a few times.
- Stack mint leaves in the palm of your hand. Smack leaves with your other hand, 5 to 6 times, or until fragrant.
- Rub leaves over the rim of the glass, then drop in.
- Fill glass with ice, then top off with club soda. Using a bar spoon, mix ingredients vigorously until drink is whitish and cloudy.
- Serve immediately, garnished with additional mint and a lime wedge, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
