Cuba Libre
A long, refreshing highball of white rum, cola and fresh lime juice, sweet and bubbly with a bright citrus finish.
- 10.1% ABV
- Built in the glass
- 2 min
- Highball glass
- sweet
- refreshing
- citrusy
- bubbly
- IBA official cocktail · Contemporary Classics
about 1.1 standard drinks (US, 14 g of alcohol). Estimated after dilution with ice.
Ingredients
- 1¾ ozWhite rum
- ¼ ozFresh lime juiceSqueezed fresh, not bottled.
- Top up withColaWell chilled. Add it last and pour gently.
Ice: Ice cubes · Garnish: lime
Method
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- Pour in 50 ml white rum and 10 ml fresh lime juice.
- Top with about 120 ml cola, poured gently to keep the bubbles.
- Give one light stir with a bar spoon to combine.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Tips
- Chill the cola beforehand and pour it slowly, so the drink stays fizzy and the ice melts less.
- Aged rum is a common variation: it gives a rounder, more caramel-like drink. The IBA specification uses white rum.
- Cola is sweet, so the lime juice matters: it keeps the drink from tasting flat.
History
The Cuba Libre is commonly associated with Havana around 1900. Its name is Spanish for "Free Cuba". Its precise origins and the identity of its creator remain disputed.
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