The virgin mojito (or Virgin Mojito, as it is known in bars and international menus) is a refreshing cocktail ideal as a non-alcoholic aperitif or as a carefree drink to enjoy at any time of the day. If you are teetotal or cannot drink alcohol, the virgin mojito is a great solution to still savor the fresh and aromatic taste of the famous Cuban cocktail. The original mojito recipe actually calls for rum, lime juice, mint, raw cane sugar and soda water; in the non-alcoholic version of the mojito the rum is replaced with lemon soda, while the rest of the preparation remains unchanged.
Just like the original, the virgin mojito is “muddled” so the mint can release its full aroma. Crushed ice is essential, preferably crushed finely; you can make it with an ice crusher, with a food processor or simply by crushing ice cubes inside a clean dish towel with a meat tenderizer. You won’t need a cocktail shaker or special tools to prepare the virgin mojito; you can easily make it with utensils you most likely already have at home. The virgin mojito is the perfect cocktail to enjoy in summer, perhaps by the sea!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1 cocktail
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Caribbean
- Energy 92.28 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.84 (g) of which sugars 21.35 (g)
- Proteins 0.38 (g)
- Fat 0.05 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.02 (g)
- Fibers 0.30 (g)
- Sodium 32.32 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for one glass of virgin mojito
- 1.7 fl oz lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 2 tsp raw cane sugar
- 1 sprig mint
- as needed ice
- 3.4 fl oz sparkling water (about)
- 3.4 fl oz lemon soda (about)
- 1 slice lime
- as needed mint
Tools
- 1 Glass high tumbler
- 1 Muddler
- 1 ice crusher
How to prepare the virgin mojito
To prepare the virgin mojito, first get a sufficiently large glass (about 11 fl oz). The traditional mojito is generally served in a high tumbler (or highball), that is a tall, slightly flared glass which allows the fruit and mint to remain immersed in the cocktail until the end.
If you’re passionate about this cocktail, you can also find a mojito set complete with glasses, muddler and lime squeezer. Wash both the mint and the limes thoroughly, as both will be immersed in the cocktail.
Cut the lime into four wedges. Put the raw cane sugar at the bottom of the glass (1) and add the freshly squeezed lime juice (2).
After squeezing them, place a couple of the lime wedges into the glass and add a generous sprig of mint (3).
With a muddler – I used a marble one, but there are specific muddlers for cocktails – firmly press the mint and the lime wedges (4) to release their aroma, which will infuse the raw cane sugar. If you don’t have a muddler, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon.
Now prepare the ice, which in the virgin mojito, as in the traditional one, should be crushed. If you have an ice crusher you’ll have it in no time. Otherwise, you can use a blender or an immersion blender (mixer, but be careful not to damage it. Put 4 or 5 ice cubes inside (5).
Close it and pulse briefly to crush the ice, so as not to strain the motor. I use a very sturdy blender and feel quite safe, but with more fragile models there’s a risk the plastic beaker could crack.
An alternative and safe method is to put the ice inside a clean dish towel and crush it with a meat tenderizer. In any case, the result you want is coarsely crushed ice (6), otherwise it will melt too quickly.
Put the crushed ice into the glass and add the sparkling water and lemon soda in equal parts (about 3.4 fl oz of each) (7). Stir with a spoon and garnish the virgin mojito with a lime slice and a few mint leaves (8).
Serve the virgin mojito immediately, equipping the glass with one or two long straws so you can sip the drink from the bottom.
For the English version of this recipe click here!
Tips and variations
If you prefer, you can replace the lemon soda with tonic water.
The virgin mojito, in addition to being very thirst-quenching, is also good for digestion.
Trivia
The origin of the original Cuban mojito is rather controversial, but it could date back as far as the 16th century. It was only in the 20th century, however, that the cocktail as we know it gained the popularity it deserves, also thanks to some notable personalities who frequented the Bodeguita del Medio bar, famous precisely for its mojitos. Among them was Ernest Hemingway, although it seems the writer’s passion for the rum-and-lime cocktail was not as excessive as is sometimes told.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Does the virgin mojito contain sugar?
Yes, traditionally raw cane sugar is used, but it can be replaced with sugar syrup or sweeteners.
Can you make the virgin mojito without lemon soda?
Yes, you can replace it with tonic water or with sparkling cedrata (Italian citrus soda).
What’s the difference between a mojito analcolico and a virgin mojito?
There is actually no difference: the Virgin Mojito is simply the international name for the non-alcoholic mojito. The ingredients are the same as the classic mojito — lime, mint, raw cane sugar and soda — but without rum.
Is the virgin mojito the same as a zero-alcohol mojito?
It is often also called a mojito zero because it contains no alcohol. The recipe remains the traditional mojito one, with fresh lime, mint, raw cane sugar and soda, but without the addition of rum.
