Minty Mango Mojito Cocktail Recipe

It doesn't get better than a freshly made mojito on a hot sunny day, does it? Minty, light, and refreshing, mojitos have been a summertime favorite for ages, having origins in Havana, Cuba as far back as the 1500s. The drink was likely used medicinally as a tonic to common sailors' plagues way back then. Nowadays, it's used instead as a poolside refresher with a high ABV (though we'd be open to trying it for a stomach ache). Mojitos differ from margaritas, instead relying on muddled mint and club soda for a sparkling herby highball. Because of how simple mojitos are, it's easy to riff on them, and you can add any number of sweet and tropical fruits. In this recipe developed by Michelle McGlinn, mango nectar is added to the mint, lime, and rum for a perfectly sweet and tropical mango mojito. It's super easy and only requires one extra ingredient, so you can sip this refreshing fruity riff all summer long.

As with any mojito, you'll need white rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and club soda. You can skip the simple syrup in this recipe if you'd rather it be less sweet, or you can use honey or agave instead. You'll also need a healthy handful of fresh mint (if you really love mojitos, we suggest growing your own mint plant) and mango nectar. Mango nectar is a blended, thick juice drink often found in Hispanic grocery stores. You can make your own with ripe mango, water, and sugar, but we recommend saving some time by buying it pre-made.

To extract the flavor of the mint and quickly infuse the drink with its flavor, the mint needs to be muddled. You can do this directly in the glass, since mint doesn't break down into pieces after muddling. Add the mint and use a splash of simple syrup to help muddle, then use a muddler or the end of a bar spoon to gently crush the mint. You don't have to pulverize the mint here; a gentle few grinds with a muddler will do the trick.

Some people prefer to shake their mojitos for a lighter mouthfeel, but traditionally, a mojito is stirred to slowly infuse the drink with mint and sugar. Plus, shaking the mint may break and bruise the delicate leaves, filling your drink with a bitter chlorophyll taste. Fill the glass with ice first, then pour the rum over the ice. Running the rum over the ice chills it slowly, another benefit of stirring the mojito. Add the mango nectar and lime juice to cover the rum.

As we mentioned, this mojito is stirred, not shaken. Grab a bar spoon and swirl the spoon around the ice, gently stirring the liquids together. Stir for about 10 rotations to chill the drink, then top with club soda. You can also top it with sparkling water — coconut flavored is delicious here.

By the time you add the club soda, your muddled mint should have started to float to the top and stick to the sides of the glass. These pretty floating leaves serve as a garnish on their own, but you can also drop in a few lime slices for extra citrus flavor. Grab another healthy sprig of mint and stuff it into the top of the drink, and add even more lime wedges or a straw for an extra-tropical glass. These can be batched for easy serving or for pitcher-mojitos by multiplying the one-drink amounts by your serving size. If batching, muddle the mint leaves and syrup first, then add the rum, lime juice, and mango nectar without ice. Save the ice and club soda for serving; your guests will love this summery riff on a classic favorite. Need a snack to soak up some of that rum with? We suggest pairing with chips, salsa, and blistered shishito peppers.