On a day like this, there’s nothing better than a toast to Cuba. And few things could be better than one of the most classic cocktails in the world, which was invented in Cuba in honor of Cuba’s independence. Of course, I’m talking about a rum and Cola mix called Free Cuba! These cheap ingredients are often mixed in completely random proportions, but in fact, for a proper Cuba Libre, you need to add a little lime and observe the following proportions:
12 pieces of cola
5 parts of rum
1 part lime juice
Mix all the ingredients and pour into a tall, narrow glass filled with ice.
My notes:
Classic, classic, classic. You can change the proportions any way you want, as long as your soul is happy, but, to be honest, it was the above option that turned out to be the most pleasant to my taste. I don’t always agree with IBA’s recipes, but this time they were clearly able to convey the balance very accurately.
You can use absolutely any rum and absolutely any cola. For example, I pour Dr. Pepper into a glass. In Cuba itself, where Coca-Cola is under a food embargo, they use a drink called tuKola, and one day I will definitely get a bottle.
And, of course, there are many variations of the cocktail, of which I personally would single out two: Hot Cuba Libre, where one teaspoon of brown sugar and one teaspoon of Tabasco sauce are added to 240 ml of cola and 100 ml of rum, as well as Cuba Campechana, in which one part of rum is diluted with one part of cola and one part of part of the soda.
What else can I say? Viva la Cuba!
Cuba Libre (Rum Cola cocktail) is one of the most famous, widespread and popular cocktails all over the world. It appeared around 1901-1902 in Cuba. American soldiers were unable to mix their favorite drink, whiskey and soda, and it was replaced with the local equivalent, rum and Coke. During these years, the Spanish-American War was taking place in Cuba, and there were many soldiers from the United States on the island. Even the names of the people who were first mentioned in connection with this cocktail have been preserved – these are Captain Russell and Private Rodriguez. The captain liked to drink rum mixed with cola, and the soldier spread the recipe for the drink among the ordinary military. At one of the army parties, someone raised a glass of rum and coke and made a toast: “Por Cuba Libre,” which means: “For a free Cuba.” However, there is a possibility that this version is not entirely correct, since cola was hardly available in Cuba at that time, especially in large quantities.