Basil Mojito

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This basil mojito is a refreshing variation on the classic mojito. It’s made with a basil infused simple syrup for a light and herby rum cocktail.

There are lots of different ways to make a mojito, besides the classic version. For example, you can try this gin mojito, this chocolate mojito, this blue curaçao mojito or these blueberry mojitos. 

For other spring & summer cocktails, try this limoncello tonic, this banana margarita or this peach gin cocktail.

If you enjoy rum cocktails, you will also like this blue hurricane drink, this mango tango drink and this coconut milk piña colada.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Variations
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Basil simple syrup — This recipe uses a homemade basil simple syrup, which adds a lot more basil flavor than just muddling basil leaves. 
• Balance of flavors — This basil mojito has the perfect balance of flavors. It’s not too sweet, but there’s just the right amount of sweet, herby flavor. 
• Unique mojito — This is a unique mojito variation if you love classic mojitos but are looking to try something slightly different.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Basil Leaves: Use any type of fresh basil leaves. This recipe does not work with dried basil. 
• Mint Leaves: Use fresh mint leaves only. This recipe doesn’t work with dried mint leaves. For a classic mojito flavor, use mojito mint leaves if you can find them. 
• Lime Juice: Classic mojitos are made with lime juice, but this mojito also goes well with lemon juice if you prefer to use that as a substitute. Use freshly squeezed juice rather than bottled juice.
• Rum: Use your favorite brand of white rum. If you don’t like rum, you can use vodka or gin instead.
• Club Soda: Club soda adds a bit of fizz and has a neutral flavor. You can use sparkling water as a substitute. Avoid Sprite or tonic water as these have a stronger flavor that may overpower the basil. 
• Sugar: The basil syrup is made by dissolving granulated sugar in water. Brown sugar won’t work well for this recipe.
• Water: Use filtered water to avoid any unpleasant tastes from tap water.

Equipment

Here is the equipment you will need to make this basil mojito:

• A small saucepan and a strainer to make the basil simple syrup with.
• A muddler to muddle the basil and mint leaves together with the syrup and lime. 
• A highball cocktail glass to serve the mojito in.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat the basil leaves, sugar and water together in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove the syrup from the stove, strain out the basil leaves and let the syrup cool. 

Step 2: Muddle the basil leaves, mint leaves, basil syrup and lime juice together. 

Step 3: Add in the rum, ice and top with club soda. 

Variations

There are lots of fruity variations of this basil mojito. Here are some ideas:

• Strawberry Basil Mojito: Add in a dash of strawberry simple syrup, or muddle a couple fresh strawberries in the bottom of the glass.
• Blueberry Basil Mojito: Add in a dash of blueberry simple syrup, or muddle in a few fresh blueberries.
• Blackberry Basil Mojito: Add in a bit of blackberry simple syrup, or muddle in a few fresh blackberries.
• Watermelon Basil Mojito: Add in 1 to 2 oz of fresh watermelon juice.
• Lemon Basil Mojito: Replace the lime juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add an extra ½ oz for a stronger lemon flavor.

Expert Tips

• Don’t let the syrup boil. Heat the syrup only until the sugar has dissolved. Boiling the syrup can make the syrup too thick and sticky. The basil syrup should have the consistency of water.
• Muddle the leaves gently. When muddling, press gently on the basil and mint leaves to release their oils. Don’t overmuddle or tear the leaves. 
• Add a garnish. For a finished look, top your basil mojito off with a garnish such as a sprig of mint, a few basil leaves, or a couple of lime wheels.
• Make a large pitcher. If you want to make this recipe for a group of people, multiply the recipe by 5 or 6 times, and prepare the mojito in a large pitcher.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe