Black Tears Cuban Mojito Recipe
Cuban Mojito Recipe
Built to the Havana spec, swapped onto Black Tears — the only Cuban-made spiced rum to carry the Vigía seal. Coffee, cocoa and ají dulce pepper add a long, dry spice the standard white-rum Mojito doesn't have.
Ingredients
- Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum50 ml
- Fresh lime juice25 ml
- Sugar syrup (1:1) or 2 bar-spoons caster sugar15 ml
- Fresh mint10–12 leaves
- Soda water (chilled)60 ml
- Garnish: a tall, generous mint sprig—
Method
- Add the mint leaves and sugar (or sugar syrup) to a Highball glass.
- Press the mint gently with a muddler — bruise, don't crush. You want to release oils, not break the leaves into shreds.
- Add fresh lime juice and Black Tears rum.
- Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir vigorously for 5 seconds, pulling mint up through the drink.
- Top with chilled soda water, add more crushed ice to dome, and crown with a tall mint sprig clapped between palms.
Garnish: Tall mint sprig
Why this works
The Mojito's origin runs back to 1500s Cuba, when Sir Francis Drake's crew supposedly mixed aguardiente with lime, mint and sugar as a scurvy remedy. The modern spec was codified at La Bodeguita del Medio in 1940s Havana, where Hemingway's preference for the place was a marketing legend nearly as enduring as the drink itself.
The white-rum Mojito is the version everyone knows. This is the spiced-rum cousin, built on Black Tears — the first and only spiced rum permitted to bear Cuba's Vigía mark of authenticity. It's blended from Cuban dry rum aged two years, then infused with coffee beans, cocoa nibs and the country's beloved ají dulce sweet chilli. The total added sugar is just 9 grams per litre, which means the rum reads spiced rather than sweet. The mint pulls those spice notes upward; the lime cuts the cocoa.
Bartender tips
Bruise the mint, never pulverise it. Hard muddling releases bitter chlorophyll. Use crushed ice, not cubed — surface area matters for getting mint flavour into the drink. Black Tears is drier than most spiced rums (9 g/L sugar vs 25+ g/L for the big brands), so the sugar syrup at the build is non-negotiable. If you want a longer, lower-ABV drink, lengthen with 90 ml soda instead of 60 ml.
Featured products
Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum
Cuba's only Vigía-sealed spiced rum. Coffee, cocoa, ají dulce. 40% ABV, just 9 g/L added sugar.
Shop the bottleLa Progresiva Rum
Cuban Solera-style rum from the same Cuban heritage. Try it as the base for a softer, more traditional Mojito.
Shop the bottleGiffard Mojito Syrup
Pre-balanced mint, lime and sugar syrup — useful for high-volume service where fresh mint isn't an option.
Shop the bottleFAQ
Why use spiced rum in a Mojito?
The classic Mojito uses white rum; this is a variation. Black Tears is dry-spiced (9 g/L sugar) so it works in a citrus-forward drink without going dessert. The coffee and cocoa pull the drink in a darker, more after-dinner direction.
Can I use bottled mint syrup?
For high-volume service, yes — Giffard Mojito syrup is purpose-built. For a single drink at home, always use fresh mint.
Is it sweet?
Less sweet than a standard Cuban Mojito. Black Tears is one of the driest spiced rums on the market — you get spice character without sugar load.
Should I rim the glass with sugar?
No. The Mojito is a Highball, not a Margarita. Sugar rim is for show, not flavour.