These fizzy Yuzu Mojitos are just as thirst-quenching as the classic Cuban cocktail. They’re made with yuzu juice instead of lime juice, along with white rum, fresh mint leaves, simple syrup, and club soda. Easy to make with or without the booze, you’ll love sipping on one on a hot summer day!
What’s Included In This Post
A classic mojito always screams “tropical vibes” to me, which is why you’ll usually find one in my hand at pool parties. Made with muddled mint, white rum, and freshly squeezed lime juice, it’s the ultimate refreshing concoction. And if you don’t drink, just ditch the rum and add extra club soda! There’s nothing like cooling down with a mojito mocktail on a hot day.
These Yuzu Mojitos deliver a playful twist on the original Cuban recipe by switching out the lime juice for yuzu, a Japanese yellow citrus fruit. The drink is just as sour, herbaceous, and cooling as the classic, but has a bright, zesty punch and a beautiful aroma you won’t be able to resist.
Whether you’re like me and admittedly obsessed with the yuzu fruit or it’s your first time trying it, adding the vibrant yellow juice in this cocktail or mocktail is bound to get you excited!
What is a mojito?
A classic Cuban mojito has everything I like in one glass: freshly squeezed lime juice, a ton of muddled mint leaves, a splash of white rum, some sugar, and something bubbly, like club soda or sparkling water. It’s sweet, refreshing, and herbaceous—in other words, a perfect summer drink!
What is yuzu?
Similar to lemons, yuzu is a small yellow citrus fruit that tastes like a combination of lemon, lime, mandarin orange, and grapefruit. Its complex and vibrant blend of citrus flavors and floral notes make it a perfect alternative to lemon or lime juice in classic cocktails, like these mojitos and my Yuzu Margaritas.
The yuzu fruit is popular throughout East Asia, as well as Japan, Korea, Australia, and parts of Europe. It’s unfortunately hard to find in the United States, but bottled yuzu juice or yuzu extract are tasty alternatives that are just as versatile as the fresh fruit.
Yuzu Mojito Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make a yuzu cocktail:
- White rum. Stick with white rum for this summer mojito. You don’t need anything fancy or top shelf; a mid-priced brand, like Planteray 3 Star or Don Q Cristal, is a great choice. If you happen to have dark or spiced rum on hand, feel free to make a batch of these Blueberry Lavender Mojitos as well!
- Yuzu juice. The yuzu fruit isn’t always easy to find outside of Japan and Korea, so the chances of using freshly squeezed yuzu juice here are pretty slim. Instead, look for 100% yuzu juice or yuzu superjuice while you’re shopping. Yuzuco (affiliate link) is my favorite brand.
- Simple syrup. This versatile syrup is a popular ingredient in sour cocktails and mocktails because its subtle sweetness balances tart citrus flavors perfectly. You can easily make it at home, too! All you need to do is boil 1 cup of white sugar with 1 cup of water until the sugar dissolves. Bottle it up and use it for all of your cocktails, mocktails, iced lattes, and more!
- Fresh mint leaves
- Club soda or sparkling water (soda water)
- Lime wedges (for garnish)
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: If you can’t find yuzu juice, you can also use yuzu syrup. Just be aware that mojitos typically aren’t very sweet. Since yuzu syrup is sweetened, omit the simple syrup and add 1/2 oz of lime juice to better balance the flavors.
How to Make Yuzu Mojitos
Mojitos are known for being a little more “hands-on” than your average mixed drink, and this version with yuzu is no different. Don’t worry—the process is still foolproof! Just follow these simple steps to learn how it’s done:
- Muddle the washed and dried mint leaves with simple syrup at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Don’t overdo it, as this can turn the mint bitter.
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes or crushed ice.
- Add the rum and yuzu juice to the cocktail shaker. Add a scoop of ice, then cover, seal, and shake until the outside of the shaker feels cold to the touch (about 15-20 seconds).
- Strain the cocktail into your prepared glass. Fill it to the top with club soda or sparkling water.
- Garnish the yuzu mojito with a lime wedge and extra mint. Sip and enjoy!
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Stay safe and drink these mojitos responsibly. My guide, What Is a Standard Drink?, will help you get familiar with standard drink equivalents and teach you everything you need to know about sipping smarter.
How to Make Sparkling Yuzu “No-jitos” (Mocktail Option)
Make it a yuzu mocktail instead! It’s easy to ditch the booze here using one of these two options:
- Replace the rum with 2 ounces of a non-alcoholic rum alternative. Check out this article by Rum Runner Labs for recommendations; or
- Omit the rum and adjust the measurements to 1 ½ oz yuzu juice and ¾ oz simple syrup.
From there, make the drink as normal, including muddling, shaking, straining, topping with club soda, and garnishing.
If mojito mocktails are your thing, you should try my Sparkling Yuzu Lemonade or Spicy Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail as well!
What to Serve with Yuzu Cocktails
Like all citrus, yuzu pairs really well with summer recipes starring seafood, salads, grilled meats, and vegetables. This gives you plenty of options when you’re looking to pair your yuzu mojito with your favorite warm-weather meals!
- Treat yourself to a yuzu cocktail when you’re enjoying this Simple Grapefruit Salad with Salmon, this Furikake Salmon, or this Chimichurri Shrimp Summer Salad.
- It’s a great fit for your grilled summer favorites, like Grilled Chicken Pitas, hamburgers, and Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken Kebabs.
- At parties, pair the cocktails and mocktails with this Hatch Green Chile Queso Dip or salsa and tortilla chips.
Yuzu Mojitos
Ingredients
- 2 oz white rum
- 1 oz yuzu juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 10-15 fresh mint leaves, or about ¼ to ⅓ cup, very loosely packed
- club soda or sparkling water to top, about 4 oz
- lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and dry the fresh mint leaves, removing any woody stems. Add the mint to the bottom of a cocktail shaker along with the simple syrup. Muddle the mint until the leaves are crushed and fragrant, about 20 seconds.
- Prepare your serving glass by filling a highball glass with ice cubes or crushed ice.
- Add the rum and yuzu juice to the cocktail shaker. Add a scoop of ice, then cover, seal, and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail shaker into the highball glass, then top with club soda or sparkling water. Garnish your yuzu mojito with a lime wedge and extra mint (optional). Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Yuzu Mojito FAQs
What kind of rum should I use for a mojito?
White rum (AKA clear rum or blanco rum) is the best kind of rum for a mojito. It has a clean and crisp taste, and its lack of color makes the vibrant green mint the star of the drink.
What is muddling?
Muddling is a technique that involves breaking down herbs or fruit with a cocktail muddler. In a mojito, muddling breaks down the cell walls of the mint leaves and releases their essential oils into the drink, giving it an effervescent and fresh aroma.
How many cocktails does this recipe make?
This recipe makes one mojito. If you need a big batch of mojitos for a party, quadruple the ingredients in the recipe and build the batched cocktail (except the club soda/sparkling water) in a large pitcher. Serve the yuzu mojitos in glasses with ice and top each one with club soda/sparkling water before serving.
If you’re looking for even more recipes made with yuzu, be sure to check out my Sparkling Yuzu Lemonade, Yuzu Espresso Tonic, and Easy Yuzu Salad Dressing recipes as well!
As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
These Yuzu Mojitos are beautifully shot—the fizz almost shimmers. And swapping in yuzu for lime is such a smart, unexpected twist—it feels like summer in a glass.