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Mojito vs Virgin Mojito
The alcoholic original next to its full-flavoured alcohol-free sibling.
Which should you make?
The Virgin Mojito is the rare alcohol-free version that genuinely holds up, because mint, lime, sugar and soda were always doing most of the work. What you lose is the rum's slight sweetness and body, which is worth replacing with a little more sugar. Make either without apology.
| Attribute | Mojito | Virgin Mojito |
|---|---|---|
| In a word | off-dry, sharp, very light, sparkling — a sour-structured drink served long, over ice. | off-dry, sharp, very light, sparkling — a sour-structured drink served long, over ice. |
| Structure | Sour-structured | Sour-structured |
| Family | Highball | Highball |
| Smells of | Mint, Citrus peel | Mint, Citrus peel |
| Technique | MuddlingFresh, green, immediate aroma that no syrup or liqueur reproduces, because it has not been heated or preserved. | MuddlingFresh, green, immediate aroma that no syrup or liqueur reproduces, because it has not been heated or preserved. |
| Base spirit | rum | alcohol free |
| Strength | medium | light |
| ABV | 8.3% | 0% |
| Calories | 160 kcal | 70 kcal |
| Sweetness | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Sourness | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Bitterness | 0/5 | 0/5 |
| Prep time | 5 min | 5 min |
| Difficulty | easy | easy |
| Equipment | Muddler, Jigger, Bar spoon | Muddler, Jigger, Bar spoon |
| Occasions | everyday, summer, party | everyday, summer, brunch |
| Alcohol-free option | Yes | Yes |
Choose the Mojito if you want something more spirit-forward.
Choose the Virgin Mojito if you want something alcohol-free and you'd rather keep the calories down.
Can you make both?
Both need: Fresh mint leaves, Fresh lime juice, Simple syrup, Soda water.
- Only the Mojito
- White rum
- Only the Virgin Mojito
- Nothing the other does not also need.
These are close enough that one extra purchase puts both within reach.
What actually separates them
strength
The Mojito is markedly stronger — 2/5 against 0/5 — so the Virgin Mojito is the one to reach for if that is not what you want.
base spirit
Mojito is built on rum, Virgin Mojito on alcohol free. If you only own one of the two, that settles it.
alcohol
Mojito is alcoholic; Virgin Mojito is alcohol free.
how much alcohol you are drinking
At 8.3% against 0%, the Mojito is roughly 83.0 times the strength in the glass — 2 UK units against 0.
Effectively identical on: sweetness, sourness, bitterness.