Old Cuban
A Mojito in evening dress.
Aged rum, lime, mint and Angostura shaken and served up, then crowned with sparkling wine. It has the freshness of a Mojito with a deeper, more elegant character.
- IBA · New Era
- Aperitif
- Shaken
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Strength
- Medium
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Mint
6 leaves
-
Aged rum
45 ml
-
Lime juice
22.5 ml
-
Simple syrup
30 ml
-
Angostura bitters
2 dashes
-
Champagne
60 ml
Garnish
- Mint sprig
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Put the mint leaves in the shaker.
- Add the aged rum.
- Add the lime juice.
- Add the simple syrup.
- Add the Angostura bitters.
- Shake with ice.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Top with the sparkling wine.
- Garnish with mint sprigs.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Old Cuban is neither old nor Cuban: it was created in New York in 2001 by Audrey Saunders, a protégée of Dale DeGroff, while she was revamping the menu at Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel. The idea was a more refined Mojito, with aged rum, Angostura and Champagne instead of soda, served up. In 2002 Saunders took it to London for a Bemelmans pop-up at the Ritz, introducing it to Europe, and the recipe also spread through online enthusiast forums. It later became a bestseller at Pegu Club, the bar Saunders opened in New York in the mid-2000s.
Sources (3)
Taste profile
- Fresh
- 4 out of 5
- Bubbly
- 3 out of 5
- Sour
- 3 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Herbal
- 2 out of 5
