Blue Mojito
The Blue Mojito is a stunning twist on a classic cocktail. That’s because blue curaçao gives this cocktail a color that will make you dream of crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches.
Just like its namesake, the blue mojito is crafted with a blend of rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, and mint topped with bubbly water. So read on to learn more about this and other ice-cold highball cocktails that are made to quench your thirst and add a splash of fun.
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What is a mojito
Mojito is a Cuban highball that is a sour variation. Sours are one of the classic cocktail families that includes the daiquiri, margarita, and gimlet. The sour formula means that the mojito has a standard base of liquor, liqueur or simple syrup, and citrus juice.
Highball cocktails like this blue mojito take that sour base and add some sort of carbonated water plus ice, lots of ice! For more examples of highball cocktails, check out this Aperol soda, Blueberry Gin and Tonic, or Elderflower Collins.
Ingredients
- Rum: use a silver or white rum for a mojito.
- Blue curaçao; an orange-flavored liqueur that gives this blue mojito its gorgeous color.
- Lime juice: freshly squeezed only, please!
- Simple syrup or agave: for a touch of sweetness. Use more or less to your taste.
- Mint: fresh mint is what makes this a mojito.
- Soda water: for a mojito, use any carbonated water except for tonic water, which has sugar and quinine and would change the flavor.
What are the differences between triple sec, curaçao, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier?
Oooh, we need an orange liqueur Venn diagram! Triple sec is a style of orange liqueur, of which Cointreau is the classic triple sec. So the Cointreau circle is entirely within the triple sec subset.
Triple secs and curaçao are both made with orange peel and beet sugar alcohol, and are therefore highly overlapping. But some curaçao differs in having additional flavors beyond orange. Interestingly, curaçao, although named after the Caribbean island, does not have a geographic determination like Champagne or Cognac or tequila.
Finally, Grand Marnier has no overlap with any of these other orange liqueurs because it’s based in brandy and has a stronger, sweeter orange flavor. Choose Grand Marnier when you’re baking with an orange liqueur, like in these orange muffins or orange French toast.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Make a classic mojito instead with a full ounce of simple syrup and omit the blue curaçao.
- No blue curaçao? No worry! Just add some blue food coloring to a clear orange liqueur.
Recipe tips and tricks
Step 1: Fill a highball or other tall glass halfway with crushed or cubed ice. Smaller bits of ice have more surface area, melt quicker, and create a chilly, refreshing drink. Save large ice cubes for cocktails meant for slow sipping, like this Aperol Negroni.
Step 2: Add the fresh mint leaves to your cocktail shaker. Use a muddler or the back of a spoon to press down three or four times gently muddle the mint until you can smell the mint.
Don’t over-muddle your mint or it will taste bitter! If you suspect you might be a closet over-muddler, read this post from Serious Eats about how to muddle.
Step 3: Add the rum, blue curaçao, lime juice, and syrup to your shaker with an ice cube or two, then double strain into your highball glass. Muddling and straining will keep you from getting mint bits in your teeth. Yuck.
Step 4: Fill the glass the remainder of the way with ice, then pour your soda water over top.
Step 5: To garnish, slap a mint sprig on the table or your hand to release the oils, then add it and a lime wheel to your glass. Cheers!
Recipe FAQs
It’s pronounced “kur·uh·sau.” The ç is a Latin letter called the cedilla that’s used in many languages including French, Italian, and Spanish.
Unlike an Empress gin cocktail which uses the anthocyanins in butterfly pea flower powder for its natural color changing characteristics, blue curaçao is colored with artificial colors. You can buy curaçao in other colors if you want to make a green mojito and red mojito to go with the blue!
You can use blue curaçao in any cocktail that uses orange liqueur, but you’ll get the best blue color from clear cocktails. Try a blue margarita next!
Related cocktail recipes
Check out other summer cocktails from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love cocktails and want to explore more? Read all about classic cocktails and bartender basics or join this year’s 52 weeks of cocktails challenge!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Blue Mojito
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 10 mint leaves plus a mint sprig for garnish
- 2 ounces white or silver rum
- 1 ounce blue curaçao
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup or light agave
- club soda or soda water to top
- lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball or other tall glass halfway with crushed or cubed ice.
- Add the fresh mint leaves to your cocktail shaker. Use a muddler or the back of a spoon to press down three or four times gently muddle the mint until you can smell the mint. Do not over-muddle or it will taste bitter.10 mint leaves
- Add the rum, blue curaçao, lime juice, and syrup to your shaker with an ice cube or two, then double strain into your highball glass.2 ounces white or silver rum, 1 ounce blue curaçao, ¾ ounce lime juice, ½ ounce simple syrup or light agave
- Fill the glass the remainder of the way with ice, then pour your soda water over top.club soda or soda water
- Slap a mint sprig on the table to release the oils, then add it and a lime wheel for garnish.lime wheel
Notes
Nutrition
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