Ginger Mojito
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 10.3% ABV ∙
The Ginger Mojito is a muddled rum highball — white rum, muddled mint and fresh ginger, lime, and sugar syrup topped with ginger ale over crushed ice. Crushed ice keeps it icy-cold and diluting slowly, with a peppery warmth building underneath a crisp, effervescent finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Fresh ginger root 3 slices
- Add: Fresh mint leaves 12 pcs and lightly muddle (just to bruise)
- Add the next 3 ingredients: White rum 60 mlLime juice 15 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Top with Ginger ale and briefly stir
- Garnish with a mint sprig
Tips
- Muddle the ginger slices first to release their juice, then add mint and only bruise it lightly — pounding mint turns it bitter and grassy.
- Add the ginger ale last and stir only briefly, just enough to combine without knocking out the carbonation.
- Fine-strain the shaken mix into the crushed ice so no muddled mint or ginger fragments end up in the glass.
History
The Ginger Mojito is a modern flavored variation on the Mojito, adding fresh ginger to the classic recipe for a spicier profile; no specific bartender, bar, or date is documented for who first added ginger to the drink, and it appears widely across bar menus and home recipes simply as a spiced take on the original.
The Mojito itself traces to Cuba, where a rustic mix of aguardiente, sugar, lime, and mint known as El Draque circulated by the 19th century, with some accounts linking its name to English privateer Francis Drake. The drink took its modern form and name after the Bacardi company began supplying rum in place of the harsher cane spirit, and it was listed as a "Mojito" among Bacardi drinks in Sloppy Joe's Havana bar menu book in the early 1930s. A widely repeated claim that Havana's La Bodeguita del Medio invented the Mojito is undercut by the fact that the bar did not open until the 1940s and only took its name in 1950, making it a promoter rather than the birthplace of the drink. The Ginger Mojito keeps this Cuban rum, lime, and mint base and simply layers in fresh ginger for extra heat.
FAQ
What's in a Ginger Mojito?
Fresh ginger root and mint are muddled, then shaken with white rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup, fine-strained over crushed ice and topped with ginger ale. It's finished with a brief stir and garnished with a mint sprig, served in a Collins glass at about 10.3% ABV.
How do you make a ginger ale mojito?
Muddle fresh ginger slices in the shaker, add mint and bruise it gently, then shake with white rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup. Fine-strain into a Collins glass packed with crushed ice, top with ginger ale, stir briefly, and garnish with a mint sprig.
Which liquor goes best with ginger?
White rum is a classic match for ginger, as in this Ginger Mojito, because its clean, light sweetness lets the ginger's heat come through without competing. Whiskey and vodka also pair well with ginger, but rum keeps the drink brighter and more citrus-forward.
Will one mojito get you drunk?
A single Ginger Mojito is unlikely to get most people drunk on its own, since it sits at roughly 10.3% ABV thanks to the ginger ale topping it up. It is a lighter, session-style pour compared to spirit-forward cocktails, though effects still depend on the drinker.
What are common mojito mistakes?
The most common mistake is over-muddling the mint, which crushes the leaves and releases bitter, grassy compounds instead of just their aromatic oils. Other frequent errors are skipping fresh lime juice for bottled, and over-diluting by stirring too long once ice is added.
