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Our Favorite Rum for Making Mojitos

Mojito is one of the most exciting cocktails that you can enjoy during summer. Its strong, sweet, and sour taste is perfect for quenching thirst on hot summer days. 

mojito cocktail with rum, lime and mint

Luckily, making the mojito drink at home is not complicated and expensive. The ingredients you need include sugar, lime water, soda water, and rum.

Initially, people used spirits instead of rum. However, rum is now one of the crucial ingredients of the cocktail that you cannot do without. 

Unfortunately, selecting the wrong rum can ruin the perfect cocktail.

Best Rum for Mojitos

Below is more information on some of the best rums for mojito that make the cocktail most captivating.


Mount Gay Eclipse

This Mount Gay bottle of white rum provides a burst of taste with notes of banana, citrus, and vanilla notes.

Its characteristics make it ideal for use in several cocktails that need silver rums, such as mojitos.

Adding the right amount of mount gay rum to your rim creates the refreshing and delicate mouthfeel that makes the hot summer days better—the presence of banana and sugarcane flavors in the rum results in a sweet mojito taste.


Havana Club

Havana Club is best known for its citrusy and salt-tinged tastes. When added to a mojito, it gives oak flavors of sugarcane, molasses, and vanilla.

Havana club mojito cocktail

Its alcohol level is 40%, meaning you need to add only a small amount to the cocktail. This is the best Cuban rum, bearing in mind that Cuba is known for being the origin of some of the best rums.  

The only challenge for anyone living in the US, it is a Cuban product which is banned in the states. You will need to travel abroad to places like Mexico, the Bahamas, etc to enjoy this rum.


Bacardi

The Bacardi silver rum is a clear, clean, and subtly sweet rum that should be your best choice when you are on a budget. 

bartender getting ready to make daiquiri cocktail using Bacardi Carta Blanca rum

This affordable rum has notes of bright citrus and candied ginger, making it the perfect combination to the mint in the mojito. 

Although it has an inexpensive price tag, this does not compromise its incredible taste. Its combination of cooked sugar, vanilla, and light oak makes this cocktail the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer day.


Flor De Cana 4

This is a four-year-old rum that is light-bodied and as clear as water.

beach mojito

It has vanilla, coconut, and light barrel notes that easily keep up with other potent mixtures. 

This rum is prepared by letting it age naturally without adding any artificial ingredients, sugar, or additives. The rum is distilled with 100% renewable energy. 

Flor de Cana 4 has won ten international awards, including a gold medal in 2017 during an International Rum conference held in Madrid.


The Real McCoy

The Real McCoy is a perfect rum for mojito because of its fresh mint and fresh lime juice.

Bartenders recommend this white rum since it is affordable and compliments well with other mojito ingredients.

Its alcohol content is 46%, meaning that even a little amount of McCoy is enough to give the mojito an incredible taste. 

It has all the qualities you will be looking for in a good rum, making it one of your best choices.


Street Pumas Rum

If you look forward to having a strawberry-flavored mojito, the Street Puma’s rum is your best choice. 

Its origin is in Brooklyn PM spirits, a company well-known for being the best spirits source. 

The rum is good for mojito since it has flavored and fruity spices that stay smooth and elegant. This profile allows the rum to work perfectly in a cocktail like a mojito cocktail.


Rhum Barbancourt White

This rum is from Haiti and has an alcohol content of about 43%. It is the best white rum with tasting notes such as banana, baking spices, and caramel. 

The rum is crisp enough, meaning that you do not lose the fresh mint even when combined with other mojito ingredients. 

Additionally, it is filled with tropical fruits and has a smooth finish. These interesting tastes make you love the moment of taking mojitos more than any other.


Eldorado

The Eldorado is a three-year-old spirt whose origin is in Guyana. It is filtered twice through natural charcoal to ensure the clarity and purity of the rum. 

It has an alcohol level of 40%, which is an ideal level for cocktail rum. Its main tasting notes are vanilla, tropical fruit, and oak.

The Guyanese style in the rum adds a complexity layer that rhymes perfectly with mint. 

The rum is also reasonably priced and highly recommended by bartenders to make cocktails such as mojitos.


Probitas Blended White Rum

The Probitas blended white rum comes from Barbados and Jamaica. This rum is a combination of column still and pots still rums in Barbados. 

However, in Jamaica, it is only the pots still is used. Nevertheless, in both cases, its tasting notes are tropical fruit, custard, and molasses. 

Its alcohol level is 47%, meaning that only a small amount of rum is needed to make the cocktail if you do not intend to get drunk.


Vitae Spirits Platinum Rum

If you look forward to a dark cocktail, you can go for the platinum rum.

This rum has an alcohol level of 40%, and the essence of an American sugar cane molasses, ripe with creamy caramel and candied vanilla notes. 

The drink has a complex flavor that does not overtake the freshness of the mojitos. 

The sugar cane flavor is elevated with this rum which makes the drink even more enjoyable. The high alcohol content in this cocktail will make your summer evenings memorable.


Cruzan Light Rum

This is the rum with straw color caused by the aging American oak barrels. It is manufactured using a blend of rums that are between one and four years old.

Cruzan white rum is not only smooth but also has a clean finish.

In addition, the rum has rich vanilla characteristics, which result in pineapple and coconut notes. Add unrefined sugar syrup such as a demerara to make the taste of the rum even better in your mojito.  


Koloa Kauai Coconut Rum

This rum is made from pure Kauai waters and high-quality sugarcane. It is sourced from Mount Waialeale. 

From this rum, you get the taste of Pina colada and roasted coconut. The primary flavors in this rum are toasted coconut, caramelized pineapple, and lime zest.

When combined with the other ingredients in the mojito, you get an intense aroma of roasted coconut and Pina colada. It is one of the best tastes in your mouth during summer.


Brugal Anejo Rum

This cocktail was invented by Andres Brugal, who moved around a lot, thus gaining enough experience and knowledge about rums along the way. 

He did his first experiment using sugar cane distillation and eventually opened a distillery in 1888 after settling in the Dominican Republic.

He continued improving the distilled sugar cane and finally came up with Brugal Anejo rum.

Unlike the original drink, this one is a clean palate with the right touch of sweetness. It has buttery and caramel flavors, which create a savory aroma laced with notes of chocolate. It is ideal for making mojito since it is dry, long, and pleasant.


Banks 5 Island Rum

This rum combines more than 20 rums originating from five different islands; thus, its name.

The five islands whose rums are combined to come up with the Banks 5 island rum are known for offering some of the best rums.

For this reason, the result of combining the different rums to come up with one is indescribable. This rum has structure and a deep level of complexity. Additionally, the rum has spice and sweetness.

Each of these characteristics is achieved from the individual rums combined to develop this one signature rum. You will love the overall taste you get when the rum mixes with the other mojito ingredients.


Ten Cane Rum

The Ten Cane Rum is a Trinidadian rum made from freshly pressed sugarcane juice.

The rum is light and smooth and has subtle touches of funk akin. 

The rum also has an excellent mint taste which complements nicely with the mojito.

When using this rum to make the mojito cocktail, avoid adding any more sugar. Since it is made from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, there is enough sugar making it unnecessary to add.


Best Rum for Mojitos

  1. Mount Gay Eclipse
  2. Havana Club
  3. Bacardi Silver
  4. Flor De Cana 4
  5. The Real McCoy
  6. Street Pumas Rum
  7. Rhum Barbancourt White
  8. Eldorado
  9. Probitas Blended White Rum
  10. Platinum Original Dark Rum
  11. Cruzan Light Rum
  12. Koloa Kauai Coconut Rum
  13. Brugal Anejo Rum
  14. Banks 5 Island Rum
  15. Ten Cane Rum

How Do You Prepare a Mojito?

The mojito cocktail is one of the easiest drinks to prepare at home since it has few ingredients and an easy process. To start preparing, you will need:

  • Soda water
  • 60ml of the rum of your choice
  • Freshly squeezed juice of one lime
  • Several mint leaves
  • A tablespoon of granulated sugar (depends on the rum you are using)

Procedure

  1. Put mint leaves and one lime wedge in a glass and gently crush them.
  2. Add more lime and sugar. Continue crushing and do not strain.
  3. Add ice and pour rum over the top. Use a long spoon to stir the mixture.
  4. Top the mixture with soda water. Top the mixture with more sugar if necessary. The rum you use in the mojito determines whether you should add more sugar. 

Conclusion

A mojito is incomplete if it does not include rum. For this reason, before you start making a mojito, take time and determine the best rum-based on your preferences.

Above are some of the best rums for mojitos you should consider next time you prepare mojito.

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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

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