Old Cuban
A sour, bubbly and balanced cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.1% ABV ∙
The Old Cuban is an IBA New Era cocktail of aged rum, lime, sugar syrup and fresh mint, shaken and topped with sparkling wine in a cocktail glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the ingredients with ice: Fresh mint leaves 8 pcsJamaican aged rum 45 mlLime juice 22 mlSugar syrup 30 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
- Strain into the chilled elegant cocktail glass
- Top up with Prosecco extra dry
- Garnish with a mint sprig
Tips
- Shake the mint with everything else hard but briefly; shake too long and it bruises, leaving the drink grassy and dull.
History
The Old Cuban was created by American bartender Audrey Saunders, who began developing it while working at the New York bar Beacon around 2001 and finished it at Tonic, first calling it El Cubano before settling on Old Cuban. She built it as an upscale riff on the Mojito, swapping in aged rum for white rum, adding Angostura bitters, and replacing the club soda with Champagne (this recipe uses prosecco). It made its official debut in 2001 on the menu at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel, after her mentor, Dale DeGroff, recommended the Carlyle hire her to revamp the bar's cocktail program.
The drink spread internationally in 2002, when The Carlyle sent Saunders to London for a Bemelmans pop-up at The Ritz, introducing it to European press and the city's cocktail scene. Saunders later placed it on the menu at Pegu Club, the New York bar she opened in 2005, where it became one of her most closely associated and widely imitated creations, particularly popular on bar menus in London.
Its base of rum, lime juice, and sugar is the formula of the Daiquiri, which is widely credited to American mining engineer Jennings Cox, said to have mixed it in eastern Cuba around 1898.
FAQ
What's in an Old Cuban drink?
Fresh mint, Jamaican aged rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup, topped with Prosecco extra dry. A couple of dashes of Angostura bitters are optional.
How do you make an Old Cuban cocktail?
Shake the mint, rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, and bitters (if using) with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a mint sprig.
What's the difference between a Mojito and an Old Cuban?
The Old Cuban is shaken, strained into a cocktail glass, and topped with Prosecco instead of soda. A Mojito is a tall drink of rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda water over crushed ice. The Old Cuban also uses aged rum and usually a couple of dashes of Angostura, so it tastes richer and closer to a Champagne cocktail than a long, fizzy cooler.
Which rum is best for an Old Cuban?
A Jamaican aged rum is the standard choice, since its funkier, molasses-driven character stands up to the mint, lime, and Prosecco better than a light rum would.
Is an Old Cuban shaken or stirred?
Shaken. A hard, brief shake chills the rum, lime, and sugar and pulls the aroma out of the mint. The Prosecco goes in after straining so it keeps its fizz instead of going flat in the shaker.
