Ingredients
Drink
- 50 mlwhite or gold rum
- 120 mlcola
- ½lime
- plenty of ice
Directions
- Fill a tall glass to the top with ice, which chills the glass as well as the drink.
- Squeeze half a lime directly into the glass and drop the spent shell in after it. The oil from the skin matters as much as the juice, and a wedge perched on the rim contributes nothing at all.
- Pour the rum over the ice and give it a moment.
- Top with cola, poured gently down the side of the glass so that the gas stays in it.
- Stir once from the bottom and then stop, because every additional stir costs carbonation.
- Serve immediately with a straw, while it is cold and lively.
- It is said to date from the 1900s, when American soldiers in Havana toasted por Cuba libre after the war of independence.
Technique
- The lime is the entire difference between this and a rum and coke, in the same way that lime is the difference between a daiquiri and neat rum.
- A cola made with cane sugar rather than corn syrup makes a noticeably better drink.
- Squeeze the lime first so the juice sits under the rum rather than floating on top.
Substitutions
- An aged rum, which gives a rounder and less sharp drink.
- Lemon if you have no lime, accepting that it is not quite the same.
Variations
- Cuba campechana, made half rum and half vermouth.
- With a dash of Angostura bitters.
- Made long over crushed ice on a hot day.
History
Rum and cola with lime, said to date from the 1900s when American soldiers in Havana toasted por Cuba libre after the war of independence.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cuba libre?
Cuba libre is a cocktail from Cuba: rum and cola with a squeeze of lime. Rum and cola with lime, said to date from the 1900s when American soldiers in Havana toasted por Cuba libre after the war of independence.
How long does Cuba libre take to make?
Cuba libre takes 3 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Cuba libre?
Yes, within limits. An aged rum, which gives a rounder and less sharp drink. Lemon if you have no lime, accepting that it is not quite the same.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cuba libre?
The lime is the entire difference between this and a rum and coke, in the same way that lime is the difference between a daiquiri and neat rum.
