Picture this: The first sip you taste is a cool rush of mint, as invigorating as a crisp winter morning, followed by a smooth caress of white rum. The small, tart kiss of cranberry mingles with the bright zest of lime, a medley of flavors as surprising as that kiss under the mistletoe. As the effervescence of soda water dances on your tongue, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds bursts with sweetness on your taste buds – the Christmas Mojito.
What better way than to spend the holidays than with your loved ones around, with festive lights twinkling around you and a delicious drink in your hand?
How to Mix a Christmas Mojito
Ingredients for this festive christmas cocktail:
- Fresh mint leaves (about 10 per drink)
- 2 ounces white rum
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or to taste
- Cranberry juice (unsweetened or sweetened)
- Club soda water
- Garnish: Fresh cranberries
- Garnish: Lime slices
- Garnish: Rosemary sprig
- Crushed ice
Alternative Ingredients:
- Mint leaves – Basil, rosemary
- White rum – Spiced rum, vodka, coconut rum, non-alcoholic rum
- Lime juice – Lemon juice, bottled lime juice
- Granulated sugar – simple syrup, honey, agave syrup, stevia
- Cranberry juice – pomegranate juice, cherry juice, or cranberry syrup
- Soda water – Tonic water, sparkling water (flavored)
- Fresh cranberries – Pomegranate arils (seeds), dried cranberry
- Lime wedge – Orange slices, lemon slices
- Rosemary sprig – Cinnamon stick, thyme sprig, sprig of mint
Tip: Consider making a white christmas mojito with coconut milk or coconut cream instead of the cranberry juice.
Mixing Instructions for a Christmas Mojito
Step 1: Take a sturdy glass and add mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice into it – muddle it at the bottom of the glass to release the mint’s essential oils until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Step 2: Pour rum into the glass and stir it well to combine everything – you can also use a cocktail shaker but don’t shake as rigorously.
Step 3: Add a splash of cranberry juice for a festive color, and adjust based on how tart or sweet you want the cocktail to be.
Step 4: Fill the glass with crushed ice, but leave some space on the top for soda – then top off the drink with club soda and give it a gentle stir.
Step 5: Finally, garnish your cocktail with fresh cranberries, a slice of lime, and a rosemary sprig to really give it a Christmas theme.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh mint for this cocktail and slap the leaves between your palms before muddling it, this will release the essential oils right away.
- If you like it sweeter, use 100% cranberry juice and adjust the sweetness with either sugar or a syrup – this will also give it a more intense red color.
- If you’re not into sweet cocktails, reduce the sugar and fully omit it.
- For a non-alcoholic version, omit the rum and add more soda water – alternatively, add a rum-flavored syrup.
- To prepare a pitcher for a party, multiply the ingredients by the number of servings, but muddle the mint in a separate bowl, then combine everything in the pitcher just before serving – don’t add the muddled mint and soda until you’re ready to drink it to preserve the taste and fizz.
What to Serve with This Cocktail
These are just a few of our thoughts for what might go well with this drink if you’re looking for some pairing ideas for the holiday season.
- Appetizers – Crostini with goat cheese and fig spread, shrimp cocktail, caprese skewers with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- Main course – Grilled chicken or fish with a citrusy glaze, roasted pork loin with a fruit salsa, pasta alla norma
- Salads – Arugula salad with a strawberry vinaigrette, Spinach salad with strawberries, almonds, and a poppy seed dressing.
- Sides – seafood sides, fresh tropical fruit salad, cucumber and dill salad.
- Desserts – Panna cotta with strawberry sauce, Italian Anise cookies,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes a Christmas Mojito different from a regular Mojito?
Great questions! The biggest difference is the garnishing and seasonal ingredients like the cranberry juice, cranberries, and rosemary springs as the basic Mojito recipe has mint, lime, and white rum.
Can I make Christmas Mojito in advance?
Absolutely! Prepare a big batch in advance BUT the muddled mint and the soda, these will have to be added at the end to preserve the taste and fizz.
How to make a non-alcoholic Christmas Mojito
For a mocktail version, use additional soda water or cranberry juice instead of the alcohol. Alternatively, you can also add a little bit of rum flavor to it to preserve the authentic taste.
What kind of rum should I use for a Christmas Mojito?
The best type of rum for this festive cocktail would be a white rum because of its clean flavor, so it won’t overpower the taste of the other ingredients.
How to serve a Christmas Mojito at a holiday party?
For a holiday or christmas party, prepare a pitcher of the cocktail, but keep the mint and the soda until the end and use a highball glass or mason jars with a lot of ice. Garnish with fresh cranberries, lime slices, and rosemary sprigs for the festive look to these holiday cocktails.
Easy Christmas Mojito Recipe | Festive Holiday Cocktail
Ingredients
Ingredients for this festive christmas cocktail:
- Fresh mint leaves about 10 per drink
- 2 ounces white rum
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar or to taste
- Cranberry juice unsweetened or sweetened
- Club soda water
- Garnish: Fresh cranberries
- Garnish: Lime slices
- Garnish: Rosemary sprig
- Crushed ice
Alternative Ingredients:
- Mint leaves – Basil rosemary
- White rum – Spiced rum vodka, coconut rum, non-alcoholic rum
- Lime juice – Lemon juice bottled lime juice
- Granulated sugar – simple syrup honey, agave syrup, stevia
- Cranberry juice – pomegranate juice cherry juice, or cranberry syrup
- Soda water – Tonic water sparkling water (flavored)
- Fresh cranberries – Pomegranate arils seeds, dried cranberry
- Lime wedge – Orange slices lemon slices
- Rosemary sprig – Cinnamon stick thyme sprig, mint sprig
Instructions
- Step 1: Take a sturdy glass and add mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice into it – muddle it at the bottom of the glass to release the mint’s essential oils until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Step 2: Pour rum into the glass and stir it well to combine everything – you can also use a cocktail shaker but don’t shake as rigorously.
- Step 3: Add a splash of cranberry juice for a festive color, and adjust based on how tart or sweet you want the cocktail to be.
- Step 4: Fill the glass with crushed ice, but leave some space on the top for soda – then top off the drink with club soda and give it a gentle stir.
- Step 5: Finally, garnish your cocktail with fresh cranberries, a slice of lime, and a rosemary sprig to really give it a Christmas theme.