Though Sabo’s current favorite rum for a Mojito is the light and bright Diplomático Planas, he also favors Plantation 3 Stars, a blend of rums from Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica. For him, it hits all the aforementioned notes he looks for “without breaking the bank,” which is ideal, because the Mojito “doesn’t need a ton of money thrown at it to be fantastic.”

Flor de Caña Extra Seco 4-Year rum “is one of the best-priced quality rums in the market,” says Cabrera, who recommends the bottling for Mojitos and other rum classics. The light-bodied rum has a dry finish, and, in addition to the citrusy notes common in the other spirits recommended in this list, a vanilla note that can round out a cocktail.

Havana Club 3 is the benchmark for New Orleans bartender Konrad Kantor. “I like a white rum that has an aroma of toasted coconut or baking spices,” he explains, while “dark muscovado sugars and some tropical notes like pineapple or mango are great secondary aromas.” This bottling hits all the right notes and is the go-to in the Mojito’s native Cuba, but, Kantor says, can be difficult to source stateside. As an alternative, he agrees with Sabo’s suggestion, noting that Plantation 3 Stars is tropical and fruit-driven, making it a worthy substitute.

“I will always go to Campesino Silver for a top-shelf Mojito,” says Natoli, who looks for bright rums to match a bright Mojito. A blend of two- to five-year-old rums from Nicaragua and Trinidad and Tobago, this bottling is aged in ex-bourbon casks, which she says imparts vanilla notes that make for “a killer product” and “a really delicious Mojito.”

“Banks 5 is the most expensive bottle I would [use],” says Sabo of this higher end—yet still affordable—option for the Mojito. Made from a range of rums aged three to five years, it’s “filtered and light and floral and beautiful and mixable,” he says.