Drop by a beachside bar and you’re guaranteed to find either mojitos or daiquiris on the menu (likely both!). Their refreshing quality makes them basically must-haves at any oceanfront bar, but they’re so popular you can find them inland, as well. What, however, makes them so special? It all starts with a bottle of white rum.
Mojitos and daiquiris share that same white rum foundation, along with some sweetness contributed by simple syrup and a twist of lime juice for acidity. Simple, right? But it surprisingly doesn’t taste basic at all. You have sweetness, tartness, and booziness all rolled into one and made doubly better in an ice-cold glass. After spending a couple of hours frolicking in the sun, these drinks are exactly what you need to cool down.
Despite sharing the same basic ingredients and “tropical” vibe, mojitos and daiquiris are two very different drinks. So, to spare you some confusion the next time you’re sitting down at a beach bar, here are what makes these two drinks unique.
Mojitos are minty and fizzy
Making a refreshing classic mojito is rather simple. In a glass, we add mint syrup, plus some freshly-muddled mint leaves. It’s then topped with white rum for the kick, simple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, and club soda for fizziness. The multiple layers of ingredients and flavors make for a rather complex drink despite its unassuming look. You’d have a drink that’s sweet and tart right out of the gate, plus a lovely tingle on the tongue thanks to the bubbling club soda. Leave it for long enough in your mouth, and you’ll also taste the cooling notes of mint and the subtle fire from the rum.
The signature of mojitos is the fizzy soda and the minty flavors — you can’t have this drink without these elements. You can add mango nectar for a fruitier version, but without the rum, lime, club soda, and mint base mix, it’d hardly be called a proper mojito. But here’s a secret that bartenders and mixologists don’t want you to know: Because mojitos are so elaborate, they secretly hate prepping this drink. Layering the ingredients, muddling the mint — it’s a lot of work compared to another drink that has pretty much the same vibe as the mojito. That other drink? A daiquiri.
Daiquiris are simple and essentially a simplified mojito
Think of a classic daiquiri as a less-fancy version of a mojito. It has just three ingredients: white rum, lime juice, and Demerara syrup (a richer, thicker version of simple syrup). You only need to shake it together with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a twist of lime, and your daiquiri is ready. Sure, it lacks the fizz and the minty flavor of a mojito, but there’s beauty in its simplicity — there’s nothing extra to distract you from the boozy sweet-tartness of this trio.
Best thing about it, though, is that the drink’s simplicity makes it really easy to riff. Ernest Hemingway famously mixed his own version of the daiquiri by adding grapefruit juice and swapping the Demerara syrup with maraschino liqueur — it turns out quite tasty. For extra-hot days, you can add strawberries and make a frozen version by blending the ingredients together in a blender. Possibilities are endless with a daiquiri as your starting point!
Look, neither drink’s better than the other, but here’s our recommendation. When you’re feeling like a drink that’ll refresh you body and soul on a sunny day, get a mojito. But if you’re after a drink that you can kick back and sip under an umbrella and enjoy its nuances? Grab a daiquiri. Either way, you win.
