Cuba Libre
The Cuba Libre gets its bright tropical flavors from the freshly squeezed lime juice that is nicely complimented by Coca-Cola and some good rum.
When it comes to making a delicious Cuba Libré cocktail that is balanced and refreshing, muddling the lime really matters. In our testing, there was a clear difference between the muddled and non-muddled versions of this classic rum cocktail.
What the muddling does is release the oils in the lime, which round out the flavors in the drink. We also tried making a version with Mexican Coca-Cola but couldn’t taste any difference compared to regular canned Coca-Cola.
Whatever you do, though, don’t call the Cuba Libré a Rum and Coke, which is an altogether different drink. The Cuba Libre is a more complete cocktail with an interesting but overlooked history. To find out more, read Why the Cuba Libre Hates Being Called a Rum and Coke.
We also have an Old Fashioned Cuba Libré, which is a unique take on both the Cuba Libre and the Old Fashioned.
Cuba Libre
Ingredients
- 2 oz rum, white or gold
- 1/2 lime, muddled and juiced
- Coke-Cola
Instructions
- To make a Cuba Libre squeeze the juice from half a lime into the bottom of a Collins glass, toss in the spent lime shell, and muddle the lime juice and shell together.2 oz rum, 1/2 lime
- Fill the glass with ice, add in the rum, top off with Coca-Cola, and give everything a good stir.Coke-Cola
Recommended Equipment
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
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