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Drinks · Cuban

Virgin Mojito

Muddled mint, fresh lime and a splash of agave, shaken cold and topped with fizz. All of the mojito's zing, none of the rum.

Hands-on
5 min
Total
5 min
Makes
2 glasses
Serves
2

About 5 minutes for 2 glasses, start to finish.

  • easy
  • vegan
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • dairy-free
  • alcohol-free
  • mocktail
  • summer
  • no-cook

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Virgin Mojito
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: cocktail shaker · muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon) · citrus juicer · 2 large rocks or highball glasses

Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients

Method

  1. Muddle mint and lime

    Rinse the mint and limes under running water and pat them dry. Put the 1/2 cup mint leaves and the lime quarters in a cocktail shaker and press them with a muddler, or the handle of a wooden spoon, for about 20 seconds.

  2. Shake

    Add the 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice, 2 tbsp agave syrup and 2 cups ice. Close the shaker tightly and shake hard for about 30 seconds, until the outside of the shaker frosts over.

    Otto tried this firstOtto pours the soda into the shaker too and shakes it. The lid pops and the kitchen gets a fizzy shower. The bubbles go into the glasses at the end, never into the shaker.

  3. Pour, top and garnish

    Divide everything in the shaker, ice and mint included, between the 2 glasses. Top each with half of the 1/2 cup seltzer and tuck in a mint sprig. Serve straight away.

Swaps

  • Instead of seltzer: club soda, same amount Either works.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Made to drink right away.

Good to know

  • The agave adds a little of the body and rounded sweetness the rum would normally bring.
  • Got spare limes? Juice them and freeze the juice in an ice cube tray; each standard cube holds about 2 tbsp (30 ml), ready for the next round.

Safety

  • Rinse the mint and limes under running water (no soap) before using them.
  • Hold the shaker closed with both hands while shaking, and never shake fizzy drinks in it. Kids can do the muddling with a wooden spoon.