Cuba Libre
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 10.3% ABV ∙
The Cuba Libre is a highball of white rum, cola, and a touch of lime juice, built over ice and garnished with a lime wedge. Fizzy and light-bodied with a bright citrus snap on the finish, easy sipping thanks to a clean spirit backbone that never overwhelms the sweetness.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass: White rum 50 mlCola 120 mlLime juice 10 ml
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building so the ice doesn't start melting and watering down the cola immediately.
- Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass rather than just dropping it in, or the lime juice's brightness gets lost under the cola.
- Pour the rum and lime juice in first, then top with cola last to preserve its carbonation.
History
The Cuba Libre took shape in Havana in the years just after the Spanish-American War of 1898, when Cuba's independence movement's rallying cry, "Cuba Libre" (Free Cuba), was attached to a new highball of rum, cola, and lime.
Coca-Cola syrup only began reaching the island around 1900, so the pairing of rum and cola could not have existed before then, though a drink already called "Cuba Libre" — a simpler mix of rum or molasses with water — was documented among Cuban independence fighters and appeared in print as early as 1898.
The most widely repeated creation story, promoted by Bacardi and traced to a 1965 affidavit from company advertising employee Fausto Rodriguez, holds that a U.S. Army Signal Corps officer ordered Bacardi rum with Coca-Cola and a squeeze of lime at Havana's American Bar in August 1900, and that a soldier in the group proposed naming the new drink Cuba Libre with the toast "Por Cuba Libre." Some historians treat this account as more legend than documented fact, noting it surfaced decades later, coincided with Bacardi's own marketing efforts, and came from a source with a direct financial stake in the story.
The drink was recorded in print by 1928, and it spread through the United States over subsequent decades, later reinforced by the 1945 hit song "Rum and Coca-Cola." The combination is also known simply as Rum and Coke, with some distinguishing the Cuba Libre by its inclusion of lime.
FAQ
What is a Cuba Libre cocktail?
It is a highball built from white rum and cola with a touch of lime juice, served over ice in a tall glass and finished with a lime wedge. It is one of the simplest and most widely ordered rum drinks, at about 10% ABV as built.
Is a Cuba Libre just rum and Coke?
Not quite — a Cuba Libre adds a small amount of fresh lime juice to the rum and cola, which is what separates it from a plain rum and Coke. This build includes that touch of lime, built over ice and garnished with a lime wedge.
What is the ratio for Cuba Libre?
This build uses a cola-forward ratio, roughly five parts cola to two parts rum with a small splash of lime juice. It is built directly in the glass over ice, so that ratio also determines how strong the drink tastes once the ice starts to dilute it.
Which rum is best for Cuba Libre?
A light, clean white rum is the standard choice, since it lets the cola and lime lead without adding heavy barrel notes. This build uses white rum for that reason; a gold or spiced rum can be substituted for a richer, sweeter variation.
Is Captain Morgan good for Cuba Libre?
Captain Morgan is a spiced rum, so it will work but gives a sweeter, spice-forward drink rather than the clean profile of a white rum. For the balance of cola and lime this build calls for, a plain white rum is the better match.
