Virgin Mojito

A low FODMAP virgin mojito of fresh mint, cane sugar, lime, and soda water over ice.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
• 2 teaspoons cane sugar (or 1 tablespoon simple syrup)
• 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• Ice cubes
• 6 ounces (180 ml) plain soda water or club soda
• Extra lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

Muddle

1. Add the mint leaves, cane sugar, and 3 of the lime wedges to a tall glass.
2. Muddle firmly for 15 to 20 seconds. Press and twist to bruise the mint and release the juice from the limes. You want the sugar mostly dissolved and the mint fragrant, not shredded.

Build

1. Fill the glass to the top with ice.
2. Squeeze in the last lime wedge, then drop it into the glass.
3. Top with plain soda water and stir once from the bottom to lift the mint and sugar off the base.

Garnish

1. Tuck a fresh mint sprig and a lime wedge into the ice. Serve with a straw.

Tips & Substitutions

• Batch for a party. Multiply the mint, sugar, and lime by the number of guests and muddle in a pitcher. Hold off on the soda water until serving so the drinks stay fizzy; top each glass individually over ice.
• Frozen variation. Strain the muddled base to remove the lime pieces, then blend it with 1 cup of ice and 2 ounces of soda water for a slushie-style mojito. Pour into the glass and top with another splash of soda water for fizz.
• Check flavored sparkling water labels. The red flags are apple, pear, or mango juice concentrate, inulin or chicory root fiber, honey or agave, high-fructose corn syrup, and polyols like sorbitol or xylitol. Plain soda water, club soda, and unflavored sparkling water have no added high FODMAP ingredients.
• Sweeten with cane sugar, not honey or agave. Honey is low FODMAP only at about ½ teaspoon, and agave is high FODMAP at recipe amounts, so a normal drink pour of either is high FODMAP. Table sugar, simple syrup, and pure maple syrup all work.
• If some people want a cocktail. Rum is not low FODMAP in Monash testing, so for a low FODMAP drink add 1 ounce (30 ml) of vodka or gin instead. Guests not eating low FODMAP can take the classic 1.5 ounces of white rum.
• Use simple syrup for a smoother finish. Equal parts sugar and water simmered until dissolved keeps well in the fridge for about 2 weeks and skips the gritty texture of undissolved sugar.

Why This Works

Lime and mint are low-FODMAP at drink serves. Fresh lime juice and mint are low FODMAP at the amounts a mojito uses: the juice from 1/2 lime and 8 to 10 mint leaves. Most of the flavor comes from those two, and both fit low FODMAP portions at these amounts.

Cane sugar works here. Table sugar has glucose and fructose in balance, so it is low FODMAP at drink amounts. A teaspoon or two per drink is well under the low FODMAP serve.

Plain soda water only. Plain carbonated water is just water and CO2. Flavored versions are where it gets tricky: apple or pear juice concentrate, inulin, or chicory root fiber can push a drink into high-FODMAP territory without a label warning.

No honey, no agave. Honey is low FODMAP only at about ½ teaspoon and agave has excess fructose, so a sweetening pour of either takes the drink over.

Storage

Best made to order. The muddled mint and lime base can hold in the fridge for up to 2 hours if you're prepping for a crowd. Add the soda water and ice at serve time so the drink stays cold and carbonated. Simple syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for about 2 weeks at 40°F (4°C) or below.