IBA Official Cocktail | |
---|---|
A Cuba Libre | |
Type | Cocktail |
Primary alcohol by volume | |
Served | On the rocks; poured over ice |
Standard garnish |
lime wedge |
Standard drinkware | Collins glass |
IBA specified ingredients* | |
Preparation | Build all ingredients in a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge. |
* Cuba Libre recipe at International Bartenders Association |
lime wedge
The Cuba Libre (/ˈkjuːbə ˈliːbreɪ/; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkuβa ˈliβɾe], "Free Cuba") is a caffeinated alcoholic cocktail made of cola, lime, and dark or light rum. This cocktail is often referred to as a Rum and Coke in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand where the lime juice may or may not be included.
Accounts of the invention of the Cuba Libre vary. One account claims that the drink (Spanish for Free Cuba) was invented in Havana, Cuba around 1901/1902. Patriots aiding Cuba during the Spanish–American War—and, later, expatriates avoiding Prohibition—regularly mixed rum and cola as a highball and a toast to this Caribbean island.