Mojito Mocktail

Enjoy the refreshing, minty citrusy effervescence of a cocktail classic without the alcohol in this mojito mocktail recipe. This simple virgin mojito features the right balance of flavors and is just sweet enough!

I will always get excited about a fun beverage, whether that's a new-to-me flavor of sparkling water, tea, iced coffee, hot chocolate (cioccolata calda!), etc. And even though I do drink alcohol, there are many times I prefer not to imbibe but still want to sip on something fun that's non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated.

That's where a good mocktail comes in. Fancier than a glass of juice, they provide all of those classic cocktail flavors, just without the booze.

With its bold, fresh mint flavor, not-too-much lime juice, just-enough simple syrup, and fizzy sparkling water, this virgin mojito delivers.

Reasons to Love This Recipe

• You get all of that classic flavor and won't miss the rum one bit in this non-alcoholic mojito.
• There's a great balance between the mint and lime flavors, all tempered with sweetness.
• It's versatile! Using club soda or plain sparkling water works great, but coconut flavored sparkling water adds the BEST subtle coconut mojito flavor in a lighter, better-for-you spin.

Mocktail Ingredients

• Mint: Fourteen average-sized mint leaves provides a bold yet balanced mint flavor for one virgin mojito. The standard supermarket fresh mint (spearmint) is used here as it's easy to get. While garden centers may sell a specialty "mojito mint" variety, I have not encountered that to try it in this recipe myself.
• Simple Syrup: Heating a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar and water until the sugar dissolves makes this one of the easiest ingredients to make. Pre-dissolving the sugar ensures your drinks are not gritty.
• Lime Juice: Freshly-squeezed is best for beverages.
• Club Soda: Soda water provides the carbonation without any added sweeteners. Sparkling water also works, and you can get creative with flavors. I really love using coconut-flavored water for this mojito mocktail -- it's also great in a piña colada mocktail.

Easy Steps

1. Pour simple cocktail syrup into a tall glass, then add the mint leaves. Briefly muddle the mint with a muddler or with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Do this by pressing up and down on the mint several times, twisting the muddler only a little bit as you go, to release the fragrance.
2. Pour in the lime juice and give everything a stir. Add ice.

3. Pour in club soda (or sparkling water), then stir to combine. Garnish each mojito mocktail with a lime wedge or round and more fresh mint.

Virgin Mojito Tips and Tricks

• Go easy when muddling. You want to release the mint leaf oils, not tear and crush the leaves as this can cause the drink to turn bitter. An up-and-down motion works best, not big twists. See more mint muddling in action in this frosty blended watermelon mocktail.
• As with all beverages: take a sip and adjust the ingredients to your liking.
• A mojito mocktail (and a classic mojito) recipe can be tricky to turn into a pitcher due to the muddling. Instead of muddling 112 mint leaves in a pitcher, I would first consider making a mint-flavored simple syrup, taking care not to heat and "cook" the mint leaves too much as to dull their flavor. I will update this post with instructions when I get the chance to experiment.

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