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Cocktail History
The Winter Mojito is a modern cocktail that was created by the editors of PUNCH and was first published in their book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails. It’s a simple variation of the iconic Mojito that calls for blackstrap rum, a winter herb syrup, citrus, and soda water to make a recipe that is much more complex and fitting for snowy weather than the original.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Blackstrap Rum: This is a heavy rum made with the blackstrap molasses from sugar cane, spices, and alcohol. We used Tattersall Distilling Barreled Blackstrap Rum because it has a rich and smoky vanilla flavor with hints of tobacco and cream. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dark Cane Spirit in place of the blackstrap rum.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Winter Herb Syrup: This is a sweetener made with rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, sage leaves, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.
Lime Wheel: This is a lime slice that has been cut into a circular shape.
Rosemary Sprig: This is an evergreen herb.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. We used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Winter Mojito begins with savory aromas of rosemary and a slightly lime-accented taste that features funky rum alongside a mixture of woodsy and wintery herbal sweetness. The aftertaste then features more of the blackstrap rum’s unique complexity, which despite being so bracingly strong goes down well aided by its accenting flavors.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although unique, we both found the blackstrap rum to be a bit too overpowering in the Winter Mojito and preferred a second variation we tried that used a light rum instead. It’s definitely worth trying both though, especially if you’re a fan of blackstrap rum’s funkiness.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This drink was a fun wintery take on the classic Mojito, subbing savory herbs in favor of the mint but remaining otherwise unchanged. The winter herb syrup we made was quite tasty, featuring a sweetness that’s countered by the savory tastes you associate with a snow-covered forest. Overall, the drink works alright, but I do have to say that the tropical flavors of rum and lime do counter a bit with the wintery herbs, not quite making a perfect marriage of flavors. As they say, ‘things that grow together go together,’ and these ingredients definitely do not grow together. This recipe might be better re-purposed with a gin in place of rum for an even more herbal and Christmas tree-like taste.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I’m with Alex on this one. The blackstrap rum was just too funky in this recipe and mostly overpowered the tasty flavor of the winter herb syrup we made. In our second iteration, we used a light Jamaican rum, and that one was much more my speed—herbal, refreshing, and not so rum-flavored that I noticed it. I would drink this one again when I want a Mojito that’s not just mint-flavored.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.
Stem one rosemary sprig.
Add rosemary leaves and winter herb syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
Add rum, lime juice, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Double strain into a highball glass filled with fresh cracked ice.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with lime wheel and remaining rosemary sprig.
Ingredients
Directions
Stem one rosemary sprig.
Add rosemary leaves and winter herb syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
Add rum, lime juice, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Double strain into a highball glass filled with fresh cracked ice.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with lime wheel and remaining rosemary sprig.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dark Cane Spirit in place of the blackstrap rum to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Rum Cocktails
If you like this rum-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Airmail: A gold rum cocktail made with lime juice, honey syrup, sparkling wine, and a lime peel
Mocha Rum Toddy: A rum cocktail made with coffee, dark crème de cacao, simple syrup, whipped cream, and cocoa powder
Jamaican Mule: A rum cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, Angostura aromatic bitters, candied ginger, a lime slice, and an orchid blossom
Dark ‘N’ Stormy: A dark rum cocktail made with lime juice, ginger beer, and a lime wheel
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