What's The Best Rum For A Mojito?

What is it about a mojito that instantly transports you to a tropical island vacation? Maybe it's the cooling rush from the fresh muddled mint and crushed ice. Maybe it's the zesty bite from hearty squeezes of juicy lime mingling with a good splash of rum. Or maybe it's the nose-tingling hit from the fizzy soda water topper. Whatever the magic, the mojito has earned its spot among the most iconic — and most refreshing — cocktails of all time.

Conflicting stories about the drink's origins abound, but many trace them back to the late 1500s in Havana, Cuba, where the drink likely began as a rustic, illness-fighting mixture of lime, sugar, mint, and aguardiente, a rough cane spirit that predated rum. Over time, as rum production in the Caribbean became more refined, the mojito took on its now-classic recipe: white rum, lime, sugar (or simple syrup), muddled mint, and soda water. Beloved by Ernest Hemingway and served in every corner of the world today, the mojito balances brightness, complexity, and a sense of occasion in a way that few other cocktails do.

At its core, a mojito is all about freshness, so experts prefer using a light or white rum for the base so as not to overwhelm the cocktail's other delicate flavors. Aged or dark rums might be great for sipping or baking, but their richer vanilla and oak tones tend to muddy the waters in a mojito. 

"You must enjoy the flavor of the spirit on its own in order to determine whether or not it would work well mixed into a cocktail," Jonathan Pogash, founder of The Cocktail Guru, Inc., explained to Chowhound. "There's nothing positive about using inexpensive, low-quality rum in a mojito — or in any cocktail." He suggests reaching for rums with a balanced flavor profile — something clean and crisp, but interesting enough to stand alone. Among his favorites: Planteray Rums and Vermont-based Mad River Spirits, whose Rum 44, he says, is "Killer in a mojito." For those who like a mojito with a little more body and an appealing earthiness, Pogash recommends exploring rums from Martinique, such as Rhum Clément or Rhum J.M. These are rhum agricoles — made not from molasses, like most rums, but from 100% fresh-pressed sugarcane juice.

Crawford McCarthy, beverage consultant and founder of The Best Ceats, favors Copalli, an organic white rum from Belize that checks all the boxes: "It has a beautiful flavor profile, it's sustainably made, and the distillery is zero-waste and deeply committed to the local community," he told Chowhound.

While the ingredients are simple, the classic mojito is one of those drinks where technique makes all the difference. The key is restraint — especially when it comes to muddling the mint. Don't pulverize it into a chlorophyll mess, as this will result in a bitter flavor profile. Less is more here; just press gently to release the aromatic oils.

Once you've mastered the basic build, you can start to riff. Want to get a little adventurous? Crawford McCarthy suggests swapping in Brazil's national spirit, cachaça, for rum. "This sugarcane-based expression brings a unique flavor profile to the drink," he says. His go-to: Novo Fogo, which offers a range of sustainably produced cachaças perfect for mojito-style cocktails.

Other popular variations include the fruit-forward mango mojito with muddled mango purée; the coconut mojito that gets a tropical kick from flavored rum or a splash of coconut water; the spicy mojito, which gets a dose of heat from some sliced jalapeño; or the more exotic take that adds in unexpected herbal notes from swapping out basil for the mint or simply adding a handful of the aromatic herb for complexity and depth. And, if you're really leaning into vacation mode, toss everything into a blender with ice and make a frozen mojito.