5-Ingredient Lychee Mojito (+ Virgin Option)

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A delightful twist on a classic mojito, this lychee mojito is infused with fresh mint and lime juice. Distinctly floral, gently sweet & so satisfying!

Just like my popular lychee boba tea, this mojito uses canned lychees to transport you to the tropical island of your dreams. Made within minutes with minimal equipment and only 5 ingredients.

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💌 Why I Love This Recipe
🛒 Ingredients
🥂 Equipment
👣 Step-by-Step
👨‍🍳 Chef’s Tips
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🔄 Variations
🧊 Mocktail Version
🍸 More Cocktails
🍴Recipe

💌 Why I Love This Recipe

Year-Round Fun: Made using canned lychees, this drink can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Impress the Guests: An unexpected twist on your classic dinner party mojito.
Highly Customizable: Whether you want to make it sweeter, boozier, or tangier, this mojito is easy to customize to your tastebuds.

🛒 Ingredients

A can of lychees and other mojito ingredeints on a towel

Canned Lychee: Provides a sweet, floral taste and is the star of this cocktail. We will need the lychee fruit itself as well as the syrup (liquid) left in the can.
Fresh Mint: Adds a refreshing, cooling element essential to any mojito.
Club soda: Adds effervescence, making the drink light and bubbly. Also called soda water or sparkling water (UK).
White Rum: White rum provides a clear base for our drink. Choose white rum (as opposed to dark rum) to keep the color light.
Lime Juice: Go for freshly squeezed lime (not the concentrate) if you can. The juice adds a zesty, tangy kick.

To serve the cocktail, you'll also need crushed ice (or ice cubes), some lime slices or wedges, and a few fresh mint sprigs (for garnish).

🥂 Equipment

Cocktail Shaker: To mix and pour the drink.
Muddle or Spoon: To gently crush the lychee & mint leaves, releasing more flavor.
Measuring tools: Like cups for measuring the amount of liquid.
Highball / Tall Glass: The perfect vessel for serving this cocktail.

If your cocktail shaker doesn't come with a strainer, you can use a fine-mesh sieve to ensure a smooth texture with no bits.

👣 Step-by-Step

Don’t forget you can find the full recipe (including exact ingredients and in-depth instructions) at the bottom of this page.

A cup of liquid with lychees and mint leaves

Muddle the Mint: In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint, then add lychee and muddle again to release the flavor and aroma.

Add & Shake: Add rum, lychee syrup & lime juice, and tightly secure the top. Shake well for 15-20 seconds.

Ice & Pour: Add crushed ice to a tall glass. Pour the contents of your cocktail shaker on top.

Garnish & Serve. Top off with club soda (sparkling water), garnish with mint & lychee, and enjoy!

You can also decorate it with lime wedges and add fun cocktail decorations like umbrellas or skewers.

👨‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

Chill Your Glass: Before serving, chill the glass in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Adjust to Taste: This recipe is forgiving. You can play around with different ratios if you prefer a stronger rum flavor, etc.
Sweet Tooth: This drink isn't overly sweet. If you prefer an added kick of sweetness, simply add more syrup or use another sweetener.
Don't Over Muddle: Don't mash the mint too much - it will make it bitter.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh lychees instead of canned lychees?

Yes, fresh lychees can be used. In this case, I recommend adding more sweeteners to the drink (simple syrup, agave syrup, etc).

Avoid adding regular sugar, as it might not dissolve.

What if I don’t have a cocktail shaker?

No problem. Simply use an old pickle jar or any other jar with a container—even a reusable water bottle will do the job.

Muddle all the ingredients as you would normally. Then, when you're finished shaking, pour the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure no bits remain.

🔄 Variations

Spicy Lychee Mojito: Before mudding the ingredients in Step 1, add a slice of jalapeño pepper (or more to taste).
Saffron Lyche Mojito: For a pop of bright yellow, mix it with some homemade saffron water.
Strawberry Lychee Mojito: As above, add fresh strawberries before muddling. This will give the beverage a dreamy pink hue.
Herbal Lychee Mojito: For a unique twist, instead of mint, you could use other herbs like basil, parsley, or cilantro.
Earl Grey Lychee Mojito: Sweeten it with this luscious homemade Earl Grey syrup.
Rose or Lavender Lychee Mojito: For a floral twist, swap out lychee syrup with rose water. Remember to add a sweetener, as rose water isn't sweet. You can also add lavender syrup.
Flavored Soda: Instead of regular soda, use strawberry or lime soda to build on that fruity flavor.

An overhead close-up view of a glass tope with lime, mint, and lychee.

🧊 Mocktail Version

To make a non-alcoholic version of this lychee mojito, follow the same steps but:

Simply leave out the rum, or
Replace white rum with a non-alcoholic rum alternative.

I recommend option 2. The mocktail will taste bland without the addition of rum, so your best bet is to replace it. There are some fantastic alcohol-free spirits available in large supermarkets and specialist stores so I encourage you to try them.

If you go for option 1, you will need to add more soda water to compensate.

🍸 More Cocktails

If you want to explore more unique homemade cocktails to enjoy on a warm summer evening, try out

Kaffe Karlsson: Scandinavian Coffee Cocktail
Citrus & Berry Tequilla Smash
Blueberry Gin Cocktail

If you made this recipe it would mean a LOT to me if you could leave a comment & star rating below - this helps more readers discover my recipes and helps me run this blog!

🍴Recipe