It’s time for National Mojito Day! Get ready to brush up your bartending skills, and learn how to make this cocktail with an easy mojito recipe.
The main ingredients in this refreshing drink are rum and mint. Since mint grows during the summer months it’s only fitting that National Mojito Day falls annually on July 11th.
Even though this beverage makes a refreshing summer cocktail, you can enjoy it all year round.
Keep reading to get our easy mojito recipe, and learn other ways to celebrate this national cocktail day.
What’s in a mojito?
In order to celebrate National Mojito Day on July 11, we need to know what’s in this mojito cocktail. There are only 5 ingredients in this classic Cuban highball.
In order to be called a highball, a drink has to have an alcoholic base, and a mixer (which is often carbonated). Highballs have a larger percentage of mixer, which in this case is sparkling water.
The five ingredients in mojito drink are: white rum, mint, lime juice, sugar and sparkling water.
Mojito ingredients: mojito alcohol
When you make a mojito, it’s important to choose the right rum. White rum is the best choice for mojitos.
You don’t have to break the bank to get a good white rum, but it’s advisable not to choose the cheapest bottle out there.
White rums are clear in color and aged for at least one year, but generally aged for shorter time than dark rums. White rums have subtle complexity in their flavor, but don’t have the more developed flavors of darker rums.
The complexity of flavor in dark rums lends them to being consumed straight up, rather than as a component of a mixed drink.
Make sure not to avoid using a spiced rum for your mojitos. While spiced rum is a flavorful spirit that is delightful in many cocktails, the spices overpower the delicate and refreshing balance of a mojito drink.
If you’re interested in learning more about the different types of rum, check out this guide to the 10 types of rum which goes over their differences, tasting notes, and cocktail recommendations for each type.
Cocktail making is an art, and just as you can add other fruit to mojitos, you can also change up the mojito alcohol if you so choose.
White rum is the traditional mojito alcohol, but some people make versions of mojitos with vodka as well.
How to celebrate National Mojito Day
There are lots of obvious ways to observe National Mojito Day – just make yourself a mojito cocktail and relax while you enjoy it.
Here are a few other creative ideas to help honor this day.
- Host a cocktail party and invite your friends over for mojitos.
- Grow your own mint plants, so you can have fresh mint on hand any time you want to make a mojito drink.
- Sign up for a rum tasting class in your area so you can learn more about the spirit used in this drink.
- Have a pool party, and enjoy mojito cocktails poolside.
- To celebrate the mojito’s Cuban heritage, go to a Cuban restaurant and order a mojito.
Don’t forget to check out the easy mojito recipe at the bottom of the page, and make your own mojito drink!
How to make a mojito drink
Making a mojito is relatively simple. First, gather your mojito ingredients: white rum, lime juice, mint, sparkling water and sugar.
There are a few different ways to make a mojito, but let’s get started with an easy mojito recipe. We will be using simple syrup instead of raw sugar.
The first step is to make a simple syrup, which is one part water to one part sugar, heated until the sugar dissolves. If you make cocktails frequently you can make a larger batch of simple syrup using 1 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar.
Easy mojito recipe
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After the simple syrup is made, grab a collins glass (or any other tall glass). Take 10 fresh mint leaves, and clap them between your hands. This releases some of the oils, and you’ll be able to smell the fresh mint.
Put the mint leaves in the glass and stir them with a bar spoon (or long handled spoon). You don’t need to muddle them, just move them around to distribute the oil from the leaves around the glass.
Take a cocktail shaker and, using a cocktail jigger, measure 2 ounces (59 ml) of white rum, 1/2 ounce (15 ml) of simple syrup, and 3/4 ounce (22 ml) of freshly squeezed lime juice.
It’s best to use fresh lime juice, as it adds acidity and brightness to the mojito cocktail without making it overly sweet.
Add ice to the cocktail shaker, and give it a quick shake – just enough to combine the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into the cocktail glass on top of the mint leaves and add ice. Top it off with sparkling water.
Take a sprig of mint leaves and clap them between your hands to release the mint aromas. Place the sprig into the glass, and garnish with a lime wedge.
The garnish is an important part of the cocktail, because it employs the senses of sight and smell. First you experience the cocktail with your eyes, then smell it, then taste it.
Head to the bottom of this page for a printable version of this easy mojito recipe.
Mojito facts for National Mojito Day
Brush up on your knowledge of National Mojito Day with these fun Mojito facts.
- In the 16th century, mojitos were believed to be medicinal cocktails which could cure dysentery and scurvy.
- There is some mystery as to the exact origin of the mojito.
- While there are different theories for who created the first mojito drink, Cuba is accepted as the home of this refreshing cocktail.
- The etymology of the word “mojito” indicates both Cuban and African origins. Mojar in Spanish means wet, and Mojo is a word of African origin which means a magic charm, spell or talisman.
- The first written reference to to the mojito cocktail (by the name mojito) was in 1932 in Sloppy Joe’s Cocktail Manual.
- While some claim that the mojito was one of Earnest Hemingway’s drinks of choice, this myth has been debunked.
- The James Bond movies normally depict 007 drinking martinis – however in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan (as James Bond) is seen enjoying a mojito in Havana.
For more trivia about your favorite foods, drinks, holidays and items, make sure to check out our fun facts section!
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National Mojito Day falls on July 11. Head to Always the Holidays for an easy mojito recipe, and some interesting mojito facts! 🌿 #MojitoDrink #NationalMojitoDay #MojitoRecipe Share on XWhat is a national day?
National days of the year are a fun way to celebrate odd and unusual foods, animals and items that you come into contact with.
Be sure to check out our national day’s guide for more fun days to celebrate. The guide gives information about the history of national days and why we celebrate them.
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are national days in July. For a fun way to celebrate them, get our free July word search of national days.
Is food your thing? Each day of the month has a food or drink associated with it, too. You’ll find all the national food and drink days of July here.
In addition to national days of the month, there are also July monthly observances we celebrate all month long.
More July 11 national days
Did you enjoy learning about National Mojito Day? Well you’re in luck, July 11 is host to more than just one national day!
Here is a complete list of all the July 11 national days:
- National Mojito Day
- National Rainier Cherry Day
- National Blueberry Muffin Day
- National Swimming Pool Day
- National Cheer Up The Lonely Day
- National 7-Eleven Day
- All American Pet Photo Day
- International Essential Oils Day
- World Population Day
Pin this easy mojito cocktail recipe for National Mojito Day for later
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Beat the heat this summer with a mojito cocktail recipe! This refreshing rum drink is great to enjoy poolside or during your annual National Mojito Day festivities. Some mojito drink recipes involve muddling ingredients, but this quick and easy mojito recipe uses simple syrup in place of raw sugar, so there's no muddling involved. Once you see how easy it is to make a mojito cocktail, any day can be mojito day! Please remember to enjoy responsibly. There are a few different ways to make a mojito, but since this is an easy mojito recipe, we're going to be using simple syrup instead of raw sugar. *A simple syrup has a ratio of one part water to one part sugar, heated until the sugar dissolves. If you make cocktails frequently you can make a larger batch of simple syrup using 1 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar. **It's best to use fresh lime juice, as it adds acidity and brightness to the mojito cocktail without making it overly sweet. ***Make sure not to add the sparkling water to the cocktail shaker when you're shaking the other ingredients. Carbonated beverages do not fare well when shaken. ****The garnish is an important part of the cocktail, because it employs the senses of sight and smell. First you experience the cocktail with your eyes, then smell it, then taste it. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.An Easy Mojito Recipe for National Mojito Day
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 242Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 11gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g 
About the author
Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.