Mango Mojito

This mango mojito is a fruity version of the traditional mint mojito cocktail. 

On the eve of my 21st birthday, my parents took me to a fancy dinner with a well-stocked bar.  

The restaurant was aware of my birthday and offered me their most popular cocktail: a mango mojito.

Up to this point, I’ve never had a proper cocktail.  Obviously being an underaged college student at the time, the only drinking I partook in included red cups filled with cheap alcohol and various sodas to mask the taste.

Needless to say, most of these red cup concoctions did not taste very good.

Mango Mojito Cocktail

I immediately fell in love with the mango mojito.  

The mixture of the refreshing mint with the sweet mango and the kick of rum was unlike anything I’ve had ever before.

Why muddle the mint leaves?

What makes mojitos so special is the muddling.  This cocktail would not taste the same if you just shook in a shaker or merely stirred the contents together.

The mint leaves need to be crushed and muddled to expel the oils and flavor associated with a mojito.

Mojito Ingredients

While mojitos are very simple to make, they can just as easily be botched.  At all costs, I say stay away from pre-made cocktail mixes.  Fresher is always better.

If you’d like to make a traditional mojito, simply omit the mangos.  

You only need a handful of ingredients to make a mojito from scratch: sugar, mint leaves, lime juice, light (white) rum and club soda.

I’ve been playing around with bitters lately, and I love incorporating them into my cocktails. If you can’t find it, or don’t want to use it, simply omit it.

Step 1:

In cocktail shaker (or flat bottomed drinking glass), add 8-10 mint leaves and 3 sugar cubes.  If desired, add 2-3 dashes of lime bitters.

Step 2:

Use a muddler to crush the sugar and mint together.  Muddle until sugar has dissolved.  (This is my favorite muddler.  While the wooden ones are much prettier, I feel this one gets the job done well.) 

Step 3:

Add 1 oz fresh lime juice to shaker.

Step 4:

Add 1/4 cup fresh mango chunks to shaker.  Lightly crush and muddle mangos into the drink.

Step 5:

Add 2 oz light (white) rum of choice.

Step 6:

Fill serving glass with ice.  Pour cocktail into serving glass.  Add 2 oz club soda.  I like to include the muddled mint and mango in the final drink.

I think it’s fun to get little chunks of mango in my drink, however, you can also strain out the mint and mango at this point before serving.

Garnish with fresh mint and a slice of mango.

Cheers!