Cuba Libre (Rum, Coke and Lime)
Rum, cola and lime over ice. The lime is not a garnish and not optional: it is the whole difference between a Cuba Libre and a plain rum and coke. Named in Havana around 1900 after the toast to a free Cuba. Two glasses, five minutes, nothing to cook.
Servings: 2
Calories: 160kcal
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white or gold rum about 120 ml; 2 oz per glass
- 120 ml Coca-Cola about 4 oz; see the notes, this is a strong ratio
- 8 ice cubes 4 per glass; fill the glass properly, ice melts slower when there is more of it
- 4 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste lime, not lemon: it is what makes this a Cuba Libre
- 2 lime slices for the rim of the glass
Instructions
- Put 4 ice cubes into each glass.
- Pour 2 ounces of rum into each glass, then two tablespoons of lime juice and 60 ml of Coca-Cola.
- Stir for a few seconds with a spoon. Do not stir hard: the cola loses its fizz quickly and flat cola is what makes a bad Cuba Libre.
- Hang a slice of lime on the rim and serve.
Notes
The ratio here is strong: two ounces of rum to two ounces of cola per glass, which is one to one. Most bars pour a Cuba Libre at one part rum to two or three parts cola, so if you want it longer, top the glass up with more cola rather than adding rum. Use fresh lime juice, not bottled, which tastes cooked. Coke made with cane sugar, sold as Mexican Coke in the US, gives a cleaner finish than the corn syrup version, and diet cola does not work here at all.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg