A Cuba Libre is rum and cola given purpose by a squeeze of fresh lime — the citrus is what separates it from a plain rum and Coke and lifts the drink into bright, effervescent highball territory. It traces to Havana in the years after the 1898 Spanish-American War, when the toast "¡Por Cuba libre!" gave a free nation its drink; the popular Bacardi-backed origin tale (a 1900 mixing by American soldiers) is as contested as it is famous. Built straight over ice, it stays endlessly easygoing.
Garnish: Lime Wedge
built · Highball · Cubed
build
Fill a highball glass with ice.
add
Add the white rum and fresh lime juice over the ice.
top
Top with cold cola.
stir
Give a brief, gentle stir to combine without knocking out the carbonation.
garnish
Garnish with a lime wedge.