This Basil Mojito trades the usual mint for garden fresh basil, and it's an upgrade. It's bright, herbal, and a little peppery where classic mint mojitos go one-note. Made with white rum, fresh lime, basil, and a splash of sparkling water, it comes together in minutes.
A mint mojito is classic. But let's be honest, it can run a little on the boring side sometimes. Almost too sweet and overpowering with the big sprig of fragrant mint in your face every time you take a sip.
If you like the essence of the mojito, but want to change it up a bit, all you need to do is swap out the mint for fresh basil.
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Inspired by the overwhelming amount of basil I'm growing in my garden this summer, I did just that. I wasn't expecting to like the result as much as I did. The basil cuts through some of the mojito's sweetness and adds a welcome, slightly savory note instead.
😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a refreshing herby summer cocktail.
- Perfect if you find traditional mojitos too bright and sweet.
- You only need a few ingredients, and it's easy to prepare.
If you like an herby beverage, you've come to the right place. After you make yourself one of these mojitos, you'll want to check out my recipes for this watermelon and basil cocktail, pomegranate rosemary cocktail, and blueberry lavender lemonade. But if it's another kind of mojito you're after, try this one with blackcurrants.
🌿 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make one of these tasty basil mojitos.
Key Ingredients
- Fresh basil: Traditional Italian basil is perfect. Homegrown or fresh from a farmers market is ideal, as they'll offer the most flavor in the cocktail.
- White rum: Any mid-shelf white rum is fine for this cocktail. Though I also enjoy it with St. Johnsbury Distillery's Pirate Dan's Vermont Rum when I have it.
- Simple syrup: You'll need to make this, and do so a little bit in advance so it can cool. But guess what? It's simple. I use a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio, or 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. But if you prefer a thicker, sweeter syrup, try a 2:1 ratio. All you have to do is heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan until just simmering, whisking to help dissolve the sugar. Then let it cool. You can store it in a jar in the fridge for up to a month and use it to sweeten cocktails and other beverages.
Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🍁 Substitutions & Variations
- Flavored basils: For a change of flavor, try making the cocktail with other flavored basils, such as lemon or Thai.
- Maple syrup: If you don't have time to make simple syrup, use maple syrup instead. This is my cheat whenever I want a quick cocktail.
- Black pepper simple syrup: Make this drink even more savory by infusing your simple syrup with black pepper. Just add a few grinds of freshly ground pepper to the pan with the sugar and water to make the syrup.
🔪 Instructions
- Step 1: Add a few basil leaves to your glass.
- Step 2: Gently muddle them 3-4 times. Don't overdo it.
- Step 3: Add the lime juice to the glass.
- Step 4: Add the simple syrup.
- Step 5: Give the basil another gentle muddle.
- Step 6: Add the ice to the glass.
- Step 7: Then pour in the white rum.
- Step 8: Add a few dashes of your preferred bitters.
- Step 9: Finally, top the mojito off with sparkling water of your choice.
- Step 10: Garnish with a basil sprig and a wedge of lime, then top off with more ice, if needed.
✨ Top Tip
Be gentle when muddling the basil, or it may become bitter. It will also turn black if overly bruised, which won't look appealing in your glass.
🍳 Equipment
Muddler: Used to muddle the basil and release its oils and flavor. If you don't have one handy, just use a small wooden spoon.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
There isn't a great alternative. But the next best option would be vodka, as its neutral flavor will let the basil and lime shine.
Absolutely. That would probably be a great combo of fresh, bright, and herby.
Sure. Skip the rum, add a little more lime juice, and top off with extra sparkling water.
🥗 Pairing
Try serving this mojito with one of my other summer recipes:
📖 Recipe
Basil Mojito
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
This Basil Mojito trades the usual mint for garden fresh basil, and it's an upgrade. It's bright, herbal, and a little peppery where classic mint mojitos go one-note.
Ingredients
- 4-5 basil leaves, plus a small sprig for garnish
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces white rum
- 3-4 dashes of bitters (such as Runamok maple bitters)
- sparkling water
- slice of lime
Instructions
- Muddle the basil. Add basil leaves to the bottom of your glass. Gently muddle the leaves to bruise them and release their oils. Add the lime juice and simple syrup, and give them another gentle muddle.
- Finish the cocktail. Add half a glass of crushed ice or 3 cubes. Pour over the rum, and then the bitters. Top off with the sparkling water.
- Garnish and serve. Add a wedge of lime to the glass and a sprig of basil. Enjoy.
Notes
Be gentle when muddling the basil, or it may become bitter. It will also turn black if overly bruised, which won't look appealing in your glass.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
🍹 Related Recipes
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