How To Make The Perfect Mojito

There's not much more Friday night perfect than the sharp-sweet zing of perfectly balanced mojito.

Can't make it out on the tiles for cocktail hour? Try hosting at home, with bar-standard tipples your friends will love you for.

We've got award-winning mixologist and founder of the London Cocktail Club, JJ Goodman's, top tips for crafting the just-right beverage – with no shakers, strainers or any speciality equipment needed.

Here's how to get started.

1 | 'Take an old, clean jam jar, and put 1 teaspoon of caster sugar or agave syrup in. Don't use granulated: the granules are too big and will make for a gritty drink.

2 | Grab 9 mint leaves, put them in a jar, and give them a bit of a bash with the end of a rolling pin. This will release those herby oils, to give your cocktail that fresh flavour you want. Follow with 4 lime wedges: again, give them a bash, to release the juice.

3 | Now for the booze. Add 50ml of white rum.

4 | Fizz time. Pour in 100ml of Schweppes soda water, and stir with a long spoon.

5 | To serve, pop in a final wedge of lime and a couple of mint leaves. It's ready to drink, and delicious.

So good you could almost be sipping it in Cuba – we said *almost*.

Want more Mojito for your money?

Change it up a notch with our greatest alternative mojito cocktail recipes. It's what summer parties were made for.