Shokudo Mojito Recipe

Chill glass

Place a Collins or highball glass in the freezer or fill it with ice water for 5 minutes to chill while you prepare ingredients.

If you don't have crushed ice, pulse ice cubes in a blender or crush with a rolling pin inside a sealed bag until fine but slightly granular.

Muddle herbs and lime

Remove the chilled glass from freezer and discard ice water. In a mixing glass or shaker, add the mint leaves, torn shiso leaves, simple syrup (0.75 oz) and the lime wedge. Gently muddle 6–8 times — press just enough to release essential oils from the mint and shiso and juice from the lime without pulverizing the leaves (about 10–15 seconds).

Add spirits

Add the white rum (2 oz) and fresh lime juice (1 oz) to the muddled herb mixture. Add a few large ice cubes to the shaker to cool the liquid, then give a brief hard shake for 5–6 seconds to mix and chill.

Build the cocktail

Discard the ice from the chilled serving glass if used. Fill the glass about three-quarters full with crushed ice (approximately 1 cup). Strain the shaken mixture over the crushed ice, using a fine strainer if you prefer fewer herb bits.

Top and finish

Top the drink with club soda (about 2.5 oz) and gently stir 2–3 times with a bar spoon to marry the soda into the cocktail without bruising the herbs. Taste and adjust: add up to 0.25 oz more simple syrup if you prefer sweeter, or another splash of lime juice if too sweet.

Garnish

Slap the remaining mint leaves and (optional) shiso sprig between your palms to release aromatics, then place them on top of the crushed ice along with the lime wheel. Insert a straw close to the garnish so the first sips capture the herb aroma.

Serve immediately while the crushed ice is cold. For a lighter, more Japanese-inspired variation, substitute 0.5 oz of the rum with a splash (0.5 oz) of sake or use a floral rum. All listed ingredients correspond to the prep steps above.