Cocktail Atlas

Nojito

Mint, fresh lime and cane sugar lengthened with soda water over ice. The Mojito’s build with the rum left out and a little more soda.

Cocktail Atlas · Updated

Spirit
Non-Alcoholic
Glass
Highball glass
Method
Built
Difficulty
Beginner

Riff on: Mojito

Spec: Adapted from the IBA Mojito, spirit left out

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Nojito

Ingredients

Ingredients for Nojito. Tick each one as you add it.
AddedMeasureIngredient
⅔ oz
6
2 tsp
4 oz

Steps

  1. Gently muddle the mint with the sugar and lime juice in a highball glass.
  2. Add a splash of soda water and fill the glass with ice.
  3. Top with the rest of the soda water.
  4. Stir lightly and garnish with mint sprigs and a slice of lime.

Garnish Mint sprigs and a slice of lime

cocktailatlas.com/cocktail/nojito/

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Batch it For a party of 4–20

Makes 8 drinks, about 8 oz · 240 ml before ice.

Nojito batch
AmountIngredient
5⅓ oz · 160 mlFresh lime juice
48Mint sprigs
2⅔ oz · 80 mlWhite cane sugar

No added water: this drink takes its dilution from the ice in the glass. Chill the batch and build each glass over ice.

Fits one 750 ml bottle; a funnel helps.

Add at serving: 4 oz soda water per glass. Bubbles go flat in a batch, so they stay out of it.

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Why it works

Without rum, the Nojito leans on the same three things that make a Mojito bright: mint oils, lime acidity and enough sugar to round them off. A little extra soda water takes the place of the rum’s volume and keeps the drink long and lively. Muddling gently matters even more here, because there is no spirit to cover the bitterness of shredded mint leaves.

Substitutions

  • Use ⅔ oz (20 ml) simple syrup in place of the cane sugar for a smoother mix.
  • Sparkling water with a little lime flavor adds more citrus without more sugar.
  • A splash of non-alcoholic rum alternative brings back some of the rum’s body.

Variations

Questions

What is a Nojito?
A Mojito with no rum: mint, lime, sugar and soda water over ice.
How do you stop it tasting like sweet lime soda?
Use plenty of fresh mint and muddle it with the sugar so the oils carry through. A full glass of ice keeps it crisp.
Can it be made in a pitcher?
Yes. Muddle the mint, sugar and lime in the pitcher, then add ice and soda just before serving.

Making it: Nojito

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