It can be hard to tell from just the top shoot. Any chance of a picture of the whole plant? That said, it looks like peppermint to me (Mentha ÃÂ piperita). -Is the stem red all the way down? -When emerging in spring, peppermint is totally red, leaves and all.
I think peppermint can be a bit pungent or rather "toothpasty" in drinks. -Personally I prefer Moroccan mint (Mentha spicata var. Crispa). But then again, peppermint is better than NO mint, when making a Mojito, just use a bit less, than you normally would.

VG

Peppermint

Okay here is a second photo! :)

Thank you everyone

So I guess my main question would be, other than it tasting weird or even toothpasty, would there be a type of mint that looks like this, that would be very BAD to use in mojitos? if not then I am definitely going to try it in a few days. Have to buy the rum and limes first!

The only mint, I know of, that is poisonous, is pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), which looks very different from this. While having very poisonous essential oils, that has been used for abortions (and often killing the mother), it was actually used as a culinary herb for centuries, in the much less potent form of fresh or dried leaves.

I'm quite sure, that what grows in your neighbour's yard is peppermint, or some variation of it (mints easily cross-pollinate to make more or less tasty variations). I would say, that it's safe for consumption (what the RUM will do to your body, is a whole other matter ;-)

VG

I know pennyroyal quite well, as it grows around here. I have also tried pennyroyal tea, I bought it at an herb store (and used it per the instructions). It was not pregnancy related, but to induce menses...it didnt work but certainly no adverse affects :)

But thank you for your response VG thats exactly what I wanted to hear :)

Will go to the store after work tomorrow for rum and limes!

I am quite certain, too, that it is peppermint, but the smell/taste would be the surest way to ID it. If, when you smell/taste it, Christmas & candy canes come to mind-- BINGO! :-)

If those leaf-shaped green jellyied candies (that I snitched from my grandma's bridge club's candy dishes as a child) come to mind, you have spearmint. But the color of the leaves in your photo definitely say "peppermint" to me.

As for what kind of mint "works" in a mojito or for any culinary use, let your personal tastebuds be your guide.

As another responder pointed out, mints cross readily, and you also want to be sure to contain your mint in a large pot or put it somewhere that you do not mind when it proceeds to take over your yard!

That is common peppermint, good for mojitos, good for tea, good for everything.I grew up with this in my grandmother's yard.It is safe, it is edible and the best it is everywhere.

That is common peppermint, good for mojitos, good for tea, good for everything.I grew up with this in my grandmother's yard.It is safe, it is edible and the best it is everywhere.

I tasted it, it tastes like candy canes. I filled a loose-leaf tea bag with the leaves and steeped it in a bottle of silver rum for a few days. It was delicious for mojitos. I also fed some to my rabbit and she loves it!

And yes, its invading my yard! But not for long!

Thanks everyone for the advice.

PEPPER Mints
In my experience PMs, have stronger aroma and pronounced taste compared to spearmint which is much mellower. PM is better suited for drying and tea and SM are best used fresh, in salad, sandwich, garnish ...They also have very nice, shape, color and texture ,to me.

It occurred to me, that it COULD be candy mint. Containing less menthol, it is more subtle than its sister, peppermint. It tastes and smells more like a mixture of spearmint and peppermint, some people say like Double Mint gum, which is an analogy, that I don't think is far off. They are both sterile hybrid mixes of water mint and spearmint, and they look very similar (I can't tell the difference anyway).
I never thought of infusing rum with mint... when I make mojitos, I smash up mint with sugar and the lime, and then add Cuban rum and fizzy water. -Perhaps if I infused my vodka with mint, I might find some use for that too ;-)
Later today I'm going to a plant store that specialises in culinary herbs. I'm planning on getting chocolate mint, strawberry mint and apple mint (as you might guess, I LOVE mint). Actually, I bought a strawberry mint earlier this summer, but it was in a tiny pot, and sadly it dried out. The same fate happened to my apple mint a few years back, when we had a freak heat wave in April, right after I had gone away on holiday.

VG