Drink

Recipe Cuba Free

Cuba Libre Cocktail

Cuba Libre – traditional recipe Preparation time5 min Number of people: 1

Ingredients:

  • 50 ml of white rum.
  • 150 ml of Coke.
  • 4 wedges of lime.
  • Whole ice cubes.

 

Utensils:

  • Mixing spoon.

The Cubalibre is a combination with more than 100 years of history. Its roots go back to the end of the famous Cuban War, when the liberation army, known as the Mambí army, managed to liberate the island from Spanish colonization. The Cuban victory was possible thanks to the support of US troops, who sank several Spanish ships and offered military and economic support to the independence fighters.

After victory and independence, the American soldiers who stayed in the country used to order a mixture of rum, lemon juice and Coca-cola. At that time, Coca-Cola was a little-known drink, since it had been created a few years before the war, in 1886, by a pharmacist from Bay City, Michigan, named John Pemberton. The soldiers received bottles of Coca-Cola that they used to mix with whiskey; however, in Havana it was not easy to find it, so they changed it for rum and, when drinking it in the bars of the city, they used to exclaim: “For free Cuba!”, so the drink ended up taking the name of the toast

However, the success of this drink would come in the era of 1920, during Prohibition. At that time, Cuba had become the base of many mafia smuggling operations and the mix of rum and Coke became one of the most popular cocktails.

Cubalibre, over time, became popular throughout the world, thanks to its sweet taste and how easy it is to prepare. In the 60s and 70s, with the opening of Spain to modernity and the flourishing of nightclubs throughout the country, this became one of the most consumed cocktails. It became so popular that today, when ordering a mixed drink, instead of ordering a cocktail, a “cubata” is usually ordered.

The drinks are very simple to prepare, since they are nothing more than a mixture of rum and cola, with a touch of lemon juice and a lot of ice in a tall glass. When pouring the ingredients you must make sure that the Coca-Cola and rum completely cover the ice cubes. As for the juice, the ideal is to squeeze it directly over the mixture. Finally, decorate with a slice of lemon and enjoy.

As a last curiosity, tube glasses in Spain are usually called “cubata glasses”, as they are used to prepare these drinks.

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