Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Virgin Mojito

All the lift of a mojito, none of the rum: mint and lime muddled with sugar, packed with crushed ice and topped with soda. Cool, green and endlessly refreshing.

Preparation~2 minSuper easyStrengthAlcohol-free0% ABVMethodMuddled7 guided stepsIngredients4Tall (highball) glass

Muddled

In the glassFresh mint · Fresh lime juice · Simple syrup · Soda water

See exact amounts

Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear highball glass with tall straight sides and a substantial base. — Serving glassHighball glass

Set up before you pour

Use a highball glass.

The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.

Standard size: 350 ml11¾ oz
Ice & serve: Pack it generously with crushed ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.

Tools to set out

muddler (or the end of a rolling pin)
jigger or measuring spoon

Compare all glass types

Scale to your tall (highball) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Soda water90 ml
Fresh mint10 leaves
Fresh lime juice22 ml
Simple syrup15 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Press gently
Muddle fresh mint in the glass
- Fresh mint
Why it mattersPress, don’t pulverize — you want the juice and the oils, not shredded pulp.
02
Measure and pour
Pour 22 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
03
Measure and pour
Add 15 ml simple syrup
- Simple syrup
04
Ice the glass
Fill the glass with crushed ice
05
Top gently
Top with 90 ml soda water
- Soda water
06
Stir around the ice
Stir gently from the bottom up
Why it mattersLift the flavor up through the ice so every sip tastes of it.
07
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a sprig of mint and a lime wheel
Why it mattersSlap the mint between your palms before planting it — that little hit releases the oils, and the smell is half the drink.

Know your drink

About the Virgin Mojito

Three sophisticated alcohol-free cocktails made with herbs, berries, tea and citrus.

Spearmint, not peppermint

Mint variety matters more than technique here. Cuban bars use hierbabuena, a spearmint, and spearmint is what you want. Peppermint carries menthol that reads as toothpaste once there is no rum to cover it. Supermarket bunches are usually spearmint but are rarely labeled, so taste a leaf before it goes anywhere near the glass. If it goes cold at the back of your mouth, it is the wrong plant.

Havana’s version of the origin story runs through the Draque, a sixteenth-century mix of crude cane spirit, lime and mint taken as much for dysentery as for pleasure and named, so the story goes, for Francis Drake. Whether any of that holds up, mint and lime over sugar was a medicinal formula long before it was a bar order, which makes the alcohol-free version less of a compromise than it looks.

Common questions

Virgin Mojito FAQ

How do I make a virgin mojito taste like the real thing?

Technique, not substitution: muddle the mint gently with real sugar and fresh lime exactly as you would for the original, pack the glass with crushed ice, and top with well-chilled soda. What’s missing is only the rum’s warmth — some bars add a drop of vanilla or a splash of apple juice for body.

What ingredients are in a Virgin Mojito?

A classic Virgin Mojito calls for 10 mint leaves Fresh mint, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lime juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Simple syrup, 90 ml (3 oz) Soda water. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

Is there any alcohol in a Virgin Mojito?

Nothing — the Virgin Mojito is completely alcohol-free, which makes it a great mocktail for drivers, kids and anyone skipping alcohol.

Is a Virgin Mojito shaken or stirred?

A Virgin Mojito is muddled and built right in the serving glass — press the fresh ingredients gently to release juice and aromatic oils, then build the drink on top. No shaker needed.

What glass do you serve a Virgin Mojito in?

Serve a Virgin Mojito in a highball (tall) glass, packed with crushed ice.

How many calories are in a Virgin Mojito?

One Virgin Mojito has approximately 40 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

Sharpen the technique