A mojito is a traditional Cuban highball. It consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, soda water and spearmint. As a cocktail, the mojito recipe offers a blend of sweetness, citrus and herbaceous mint flavours, making it the ideal summer cocktail. As a general rule, the drink is served in a tall highball glass with sparkling soda water, giving it the iconic slim and skinny silhouette we’ve come to know.

With that in mind, we spoke with the cocktail expert on how to make a mojito drink, just in time for World Rum Day this Saturday 10 July. Here’s what we found.

“Mojito is one of the most refreshing cocktails, it has stood the test of time as it is delicious and very easy to make using simple ingredients available all around the world,” Hamsala says. “You could you different types of fruit syrups, herbs/spices and also make flavoured sodas to create your own variation.” Here is what’s in a mojito:

Once you’ve got all your mojito ingredients together, the fun begins. As any amateur mixologist knows, the secret to a perfect cocktail is a bit of showmanship, so don’t be afraid to ham it up. This particular mojito recipe comes from the source, courtesy of the International Bartender’s Association. Here is how to make a mojito:

While the classic mojito recipe is far from complex, that isn’t to say it’s devoid of danger. Several novice bartenders have come a cropper to the Cuban cocktail, forgetting the cardinal rule of respecting heritage. Here are some common mojito mistakes you should avoid:

When it comes to making a mojito drink, you need to have your flavours down pat. The biggest consideration is which rum to use, in this case, a strong and balanced white rum. Here are our top picks for which rum to use in a mojito, based on flavour profile, consistency and price.

A blend of pot still, column and batch kettle rums, Diplomatico’s Planas is aged for up to six years. It’s an elegant and rich flavour profile that offers a surprisingly intense mouthfeel, ideal for cutting through the mojito recipe.

Renowned across the world, Bacardi’s light and clean white rum is a great choice for your next mojito. This release is filtered through charcoal for purity and aged in white oak for character.

Crafted from Caribbean ingredients, Captain Morgan white rum has a crisp, clean and refreshing taste. This medium-bodied rum is light,but with a slight sweet aftertaste.

A little different than most, Plantation 3 Stars Silver Rum is a blend of spirits from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. Each Island has a distinct rum style developed over centuries, bringing its own special character to Plantation 3 Stars Silver Rum.

The 3 Year Old Añejo from Havana Club is a traditional white rum that is aged naturally for 3 year to enhance the intense aromas and flavours. Its complexity making it perfect for use in either a Mojito or Daiquiri.