I love this lychee mojito. Fresh mint, canned lychees, lychee syrup, white rum, and a dash of rose water. This is one of my older recipes and I’ve updated it to make it even better!
About this lychee mojito
The lychee mojito is a rum cocktail made with canned lychees, lychee syrup, fresh lime juice, mint, white rum, rosewater, and soda water. It is built in a highball glass like a classic mojito. The lychees and mint are muddled gently in the glass, then the rum, syrups, and lime are added before topping with soda water. The sweetener is a combination of lychee syrup from the can and simple syrup, or rose simple syrup for a more floral version. It is served over ice in a tall glass and garnished with a mint sprig and a lychee on a skewer.
For more cocktail ideas browse my vodka cocktail recipes or my full collection of mojito recipes.
Key ingredients and why
- White rum: A clean light white rum works best here and lets the lychee and rose come through.
- Canned lychees: About 3 per drink muddled in the glass, and then some more for garnish.
- Lychee syrup from the can: The liquid from the canned lychees adds a floral lychee note but isn’t as sweet as a plain simple syrup. I use 0.5 oz lychee syrup topped up with 0.25 oz simple syrup to get the right balance of flavor and sweetness.
- Simple syrup: Just enough to bring the sweetness up to where it needs to be. Swap it for a rose simple syrup if you want a more pronounced floral note throughout the drink.
- Fresh lime juice: The sour element that balances the sweetness.
- Fresh mint
Method
- Add the canned lychees to the bottom of a tall highball glass. Muddle firmly to break down the lychees and release their juice.
- Add the mint leaves and press lightly once or twice to release the oils.
- Add the rum, lychee syrup, simple syrup or rose syrup, and lime juice. Stir briefly to combine.
- Fill the glass with ice. Top with soda water and stir very gently.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a lychee on a cocktail skewer.
Tips
- Use the syrup from the can. It adds a floral lychee flavor that plain simple syrup can’t give you. But it’s not as sweet as simple syrup so top it up with a small amount of simple syrup to get the balance right.
- Muddle the lychees first, then the mint. The lychees need a firm press to break down – add the mint after and press it lightly once or twice so it doesn’t get over-worked.
- Coconut water instead of soda. A 50/50 mix of coconut water and soda water adds a bit more subtle sweetness that works really well with the lychee.
Related recipes
- Strawberry Mojito – fruity and fresh
- Cherry Mojito – deep and fruity
- Mojito Mocktail – alcohol-free classic
- Raspberry Mojito Mocktail – fruity and refreshing
- Air Mail Cocktail – another elegant rum cocktail
Lychee Mojito
Ingredients
- 3 canned lychee
- 4-5 mint leaves plus more to serve
- 2 oz white rum
- 3/4 oz lychee syrup from the canned lychees
- 3/4 oz lime juice fresh
- 1/4 oz rose simple syrup or plain simple syrup
- 3-4 oz soda water
- Ice
Instructions
- Add the canned lychees to a tall highball glass and muddle firmly to break them down.
- Add the mint leaves and press lightly once or twice to release the oils.
- Add the rum, lychee syrup, simple syrup or rose syrup, and lime juice.
- Stir briefly to combine.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Top with soda water and stir very gently.
- Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a lychee on a cocktail skewer.
