This recipe taste like a classic mojito but uses simple ingredients you can feel good about serving. It’s super refreshing, bubbly and has the perfect amount of sweetness.

This cocktail recipe is a firm favorite at any summer party. It’s shaken, not just stirred, so it yields an especially chilled, minty flavor that everyone is sure to love. Serve this up for summer entertaining and your guest will be thrilled. With a few simple ingredients, there’s no reason not to give this sultry summertime spirit a go!

You only need five (FIVE!) ingredients to make a great mojito.

• Mint leaves
• Coconut palm sugar: A real-food version of granulated white sugar
• Lime juice: Fresh is best, but don’t skip making this amazing cocktail if you only have bottled lime juice. One lime will yield 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
• White rum: Any white rum will work to make this cocktail, but a quality white rum will certainly enhance the flavor.
• Club soda: Club soda makes this drink bubbly and super refreshing—perfect for a hot summer day!

The goal is to muddle the mint leaves enough that they release their oils but not so much that you break up the mint—muddling enhances the flavor and the aroma of your mojito.

After perfecting this recipe over happy hour with my hubby, I served it to my closest girlfriends and got rave reviews. This drink is perfect for entertaining at home, uses guilt-free ingredients and goes down so easily. It’s light, refreshing and goes well with food.

For a non-alcoholic version, simply eliminate the rum. You’ll still have a tangy, sweet, yet refreshing drink that is sure to satisfy any flavor preference.

• If you’re as much of a fan of mojitos as we are, you’ll want to invest in a muddler. They’re extremely inexpensive, don’t take up much room in your kitchen and massage the mint (or whatever herb you’re using) so the essential oils, flavor and aroma mix with the cocktail.
• The secret to a good mojito is to muddle the mint leaves so they’re bruised, not shredded apart. This releases aromatic oils, which add to the minty tang of the mojito.
• If you decide to blend this cocktail into a frozen drink, you’ll want to blend the mint, sugar and lime juice, strain it with a fine mesh strainer, then add it back into your blender with a handful of ice and rum. Blend, top with a splash of prosecco and serve.
• For a mocktail version: Skip the rum for a kid-friendly or pregnancy-safe version that’s still tangy, minty, and refreshing.