Cuba Libre Cocktail Recipe: How to Make a Cuba Libre

The Cuba Libre cocktail is one of the most popular cocktails around today. The Cuba Libre recipe calls for rum, Coca-Cola, and lime juice. It is most commonly served in a highball glass with ice, and it has a sweet, citrusy and woody taste. Whether you’re dancing the night away or just chilling on the porch, this cocktail hits the spot. The Cuba Libre may be easy to drink, but do not be fooled by its flavour; it still packs a punch.

The Cuba Libre cocktail originated in Cuba in the early 1900s. The name Cuba Libre literally translates to “Free Cuba”, which was the slogan of the Cuban Independence movement during the time of the Spanish-American war. After the war, the Cuba Libre cocktail quickly became a staple in Cuba because of its widespread availability and low-cost ingredients. As the popularity of the Cuba Libre cocktail began to rise, so did the export and import of products needed to produce it. In 1966, the Cuba Libre cocktail was introduced by advertising executive Fausto Rodriguez in a magazine owned by Bacardi. Rodriguez told the story of Cuba Libre and quickly gained fame in the American market. Bacardi stated that the Cuba Libre cocktail was the second most popular alcoholic drink in the world. The Cuba Libre cocktail is best recommended for anyone who likes a sweet and citrusy flavour in their drink.

What are the ingredients for a Cuba Libre?

Listed below are the ingredients for a Cuba Libre Cocktail.

• 40ml Light Rum: Rum is a distilled spirit which is made from fermented sugar cane molasses. It has a sweet and dry taste.
• 10ml fresh lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice. It is most commonly consumed as a beverage.
• Coca-Cola until filling glass: Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink. It has a vanilla and cinnamon taste and is most commonly consumed as a beverage.

1. 40ml Light Rum

Light rum is the base of the Cuba Libre cocktail. It is colourless and has a sweet and subtle taste. Light rum usually contains an amount of 40% alcohol by volume and 97 calories. One of the best light rums to use for the Cuba Libre cocktail is Bacardi Carta Blanca. It is clean, dry, and has a very mild sweet taste.

2. 10ml Fresh Lime Juice

The Cuba Libre cocktail contains 10ml of fresh lime juice. Freshly squeezed lime juice is the best to use for a Cuba Libre cocktail. It gives the cocktail its citrusy flavour. The fresh lime juice does not have alcohol content, but it contains 25 calories.

3. Coca-cola until filling glass

The Cuba Libre cocktail contains Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink which is commonly consumed as a beverage. It has a vanilla and cinnamon taste, which adds sweetness to the cocktail. Coca-Cola does not have alcohol content, but it contains 38 calories per 100 grams.

How to make a Cuba Libre?

Preparing a Cuba Libre has never been easier thanks to this recipe, so don't miss it and make the most out of your cocktail!

1. Pour the rum and lime juice into a highball glass over cubed ice.

In a highball glass with ice cubes, pour the 40ml light rum and 10ml fresh lime juice. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. This is an important step because it ensures that all flavours are mixed and balanced.

2. Fill with Coca-Cola.

Fill the highball glass with Coca-Cola. This is essential because Coca-Cola will give the Cuba Libre cocktail its sweet taste.

3. Garnish with a lime wedge.  

For garnishing, slice a lime into a wedge and put it on the top side of the glass. This is important because it adds aesthetic value to the Cuba Libre cocktail.

What nutritional benefit can you get from drinking a Cuba Libre?

There is no nutritional benefit from drinking a Cuba Libre cocktail. It does contain an amount of 13.3% alcohol by volume and 250 calories per serving.

What are the different variations of Cuba Libre?

There are multiple variations of the classic Cuba Libre cocktail, including Rum and Coke, Highball, 7 and 7, Jack and Coke, Captain and Coke, Añejo Highball, Whiskey and Coke, Scotch and Soda, and Hennessy and Coke. To variate a classic Cuba Libre cocktail drink, the bartender should change some ingredients. The procedure of making the variation of Cuba Libre is just the same as making the classic one. However, instead of using Coca-Cola, the bartender could use Sprite. Some similar drinks to the Cuba Libre cocktail are Mojito, Pink Lemonade, Blue Motorcycle, Blue Kamikaze, and Classic Margaritas.