Cuba Libre
Rum, cola and freedom.
White rum, cola and a touch of lime, built over ice in a tall glass. The lime is what sets the Cuba Libre apart from a plain rum and cola, adding a fresh, tangy edge to the soda's sweetness.
- IBA · Contemporary Classics
- Long drink
- Built
- Glass
- Highball glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Light
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- Cubes
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
White rum
50 ml
-
Lime juice
10 ml
-
Cola
120 ml
Garnish
- Lime wedge
Proportions
How to make
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour the white rum.
- Add the lime juice.
- Top with the cola.
- Stir briefly.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
The story
Origins
ProbableA plausible account, without definitive proof.
The Cuba Libre was born in Havana in the early 1900s, after the Spanish-American War, when Coca-Cola began reaching the island. Its name echoes "Cuba libre!", the rallying cry of the independence movement. The best-known account comes from Fausto Rodríguez, who in a sworn statement from the 1960s said he witnessed an American officer order Bacardi rum with Coca-Cola and lime in August 1900, followed by a toast to a "free Cuba". The testimony was used in a Bacardi advertisement, and Rodríguez worked for the company, so many historians treat it with caution. The drink spread widely in the United States, and in 1945 the Andrews Sisters' song "Rum and Coca-Cola" boosted its fame.
Sources (3)
- Difford's Guide — Cuba Libre (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- IBA — Cuba Libre (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Wikipedia — Rum and Coke (Cuba Libre) (opens in a new tab) history
Taste profile
- Bubbly
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 3 out of 5
- Fresh
- 3 out of 5
- Citrus
- 2 out of 5