Rum and Coke

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"Cuba libre" redirects here. For other uses, see Rum and Coke (disambiguation) and Cuba libre (disambiguation).

Cuba libre
IBA official cocktail
TypeCocktail
Base spirit
Served
On the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnishLime wedge
Standard drinkware
Highball glass
IBA specified
ingredients†
  • 120 ml cola
  • 50 ml
    white rum
  • 10 ml Fresh lime juice
PreparationBuild all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge.
† Cuba libre recipe at International Bartenders Association

Rum and Coke, or the Cuba libre (

light rum such as Bacardi
; however, the drink may be made with various types of rums and cola brands, and lime juice may or may not be included.

The cocktail originated in the early 20th century in Cuba, after the country won independence in the Spanish–American War. It subsequently became popular across Cuba, the United States, and other countries. Its simple recipe and inexpensive, ubiquitous ingredients have made it one of the world's most-popular alcoholic drinks. Drink critics often consider the drink mediocre, but it has been noted for its historical significance.

History

The drink was created in Cuba in the early 1900s, but its exact origins are not certain.[1][2] It became popular shortly after 1900, when bottled Coca-Cola was first imported into Cuba from the United States.[3][4] Its origin is associated with the heavy U.S. presence in Cuba following the Spanish–American War of 1898; the drink's traditional name, "Cuba libre" (Free Cuba), was the slogan of the Cuban independence movement.[5][6] The Cuba libre is sometimes said to have been created during the Spanish–American War.[7] However, this predates the first distribution of Coca-Cola to Cuba in 1900. A drink called a "Cuba libre" was indeed known in 1898, but this was a mix of water and brown sugar.[3]

Fausto Rodriguez, a

El Floridita restaurant to celebrate the anniversary of Cuban independence.[4]

The drink became a staple in Cuba, catching on due to the pervasiveness of its ingredients.[8] Havana was already known for its iced drinks in the 19th century, as it was one of the few warm-weather cities that had abundant stores of ice shipped down from colder regions.[7] Bacardi and other Cuban rums also boomed after independence brought in large numbers of foreign tourists and investors, as well as new opportunities for exporting alcohol. Light rums such as Bacardi became favored for cocktails as they were considered to mix well.[8] Coca-Cola had been a common mixer in the United States ever since it was first bottled in 1886, and it became a ubiquitous drink in many countries after it was first exported in 1900.[4][9]

Rum and Coke quickly spread from Cuba to the United States. In the early 20th century the cocktail, like Coca-Cola itself, was most popular in the Southern United States. During the Prohibition era from 1922 to 1933, Coca-Cola became a favored mixer for disguising the taste of low-quality rums, as well as other liquors.[6] In 1921 H. L. Mencken jokingly wrote of a South Carolina variant called the "jump stiddy", which consisted of Coca-Cola mixed with denatured alcohol drained from automobile radiators.[9] After Prohibition, rum and Coke became prevalent in the northern and western U.S. as well, and in both high-brow and low-brow circles.[6]

Rum and Coke achieved a new level of popularity during World War II. Starting in 1940, the United States established a series of outposts in the British West Indies to defend against the German Navy.[10] The American presence created cross-cultural demand, with American servicemen and the locals developing tastes for each other's products. In particular, American military personnel took to Caribbean rum due to its inexpensiveness, while Coca-Cola became especially prevalent in the islands thanks to the company shipping it out with the military.[11] Within the United States, imported rum became increasingly popular, as government quotas for industrial alcohol reduced the output of American distillers of domestic liquors.[9]

In 1943,

Andrews Sisters as his own work. The Andrews Sisters' version was a major hit in 1945 and further boosted the popularity of rum and Coke, especially in the military. Lord Invader and the owners of Belasco's composition successfully sued Amsterdam for the song's rights.[12][13]

During the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Bacardi fled to Puerto Rico.[14] The following year, the U.S. placed an embargo against Cuba which prohibited the importation of Cuban products, while Cuba likewise banned the importation of American products. With Cuban-made rum unavailable in the U.S. and Coca-Cola largely unavailable in Cuba, it became difficult to make a rum and Coke with its traditional ingredients in either country.[15]

Popularity and reception

A Cuba libre with Coca-Cola and lime

The rum and Coke is very popular; Bacardi says that it is the world's second-most-popular alcoholic drink.[16] Its popularity derives from the ubiquity and low cost of the main ingredients, and the fact that it is very easy to make. As it can be made with any quantity or style of rum, it is simple to prepare and difficult to ruin.[17]

Drink critics often have a low opinion of the cocktail. Writer Wayne Curtis called it "a drink of inspired blandness",[6] while Jason Wilson of The Washington Post called it "a lazy person's drink".[16] Troy Patterson of Slate called it "the classic mediocre Caribbean-American highball", which "became a classic despite not being especially good".[18]

Charles A. Coulombe considers the Cuba libre a historically important drink, writing that it is "a potent symbol of a changing world order – the marriage of rum, lubricant of the old colonial empires, and Coca-Cola, icon of modern American global capitalism". Additionally, both rum and Coca-Cola are made from Caribbean ingredients and became global commodities through European and American commerce. According to Coulombe, the drink "seems to reflect perfectly the historical elements of the modern world".[19]

Recipe and variations

Pre-mixed Bundaberg Rum & Cola, 2006

Recipes vary somewhat in measures and additional ingredients, but the main ingredients are always rum and cola.

dark rums and other varieties are also common.[17]

Coca-Cola is the conventional cola in the drink, to the point that customers rarely order anything else. This dates back to the origin of the drink in Cuba and was solidified in the 1920s when Coca-Cola emerged as the primary cola brand following the bankruptcy of

Chero-Cola, and therefore the preferred cola mixer in alcoholic drinks. Pepsi's later attempts to enter the cocktail market were unsuccessful, especially after the song "Rum and Coca-Cola" solidified the association in the public imagination.[22]

Nonetheless, different colas are sometimes used. In Cuba, as Coca-Cola has not been imported since the

Dr. Pepper (the Captain and Pepper, featuring Captain Morgan spiced rum).[22]

Lime is traditionally included in the drink, though it is often left out, especially when the order is for just "rum and Coke".[20][23] Some early recipes called for lime juice to be mixed in; others included lime only as a garnish. Other early recipes called for additional ingredients such as gin and bitters.[20] Some sources consider lime essential for a drink to be a true Cuba libre, which they distinguish from a mere rum and Coke.[23] However, lime is frequently included even in orders for "rum and Coke".[24]

When aged

Pernod absinthe and grenadine.[27]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Coulombe 2005, pp. 248–249.
  2. ^ a b Curtis 2009, pp. 199–200.
  3. ^ a b Mariani 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Brown & Miller 2009, pp. 148–150.
  5. ^ Coulombe 2005, p. 248.
  6. ^ a b c d Curtis 2009, p. 200.
  7. ^ a b Kurlansky 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Gjelten 2008, p. 98.
  9. ^ a b c Coulombe 2005, p. 249.
  10. ^ Curtis 2009, pp. 201–202.
  11. ^ Curtis 2009, pp. 202–203.
  12. ^ Coulombe 2005, p. 250–251.
  13. ^ Curtis 2009, pp. 203–205.
  14. ^ Coulombe 2005, p. 99.
  15. ^ a b Wondrich, David (3 February 2013). "How To Make a Cuba Libre (That Is, Rum and Coke)". Esquire. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  16. ^ a b Wilson, Jason (26 April 2011). "Spirits: Long live the Cuba Libre". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  17. ^ a b Curtis 2009, pp. 200–201.
  18. ^ a b c Patterson, Troy (30 August 2013). "The Rum and Coke". Slate. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  19. ^ Coulombe 2005, pp. 98–99.
  20. ^ a b c Curtis 2009, p. 201.
  21. ^ "Cuba Libre". iba-world.com. International Bartenders Association. 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  22. ^ a b Ross, Winston (11 January 2018). "Rum & Pepsi? How Coca-Cola Won the Cocktail Wars". VinePair. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  23. ^ a b c Clarke, Paul (26 November 2016). "History Lesson: The Cuba Libre Cocktail". Imbibe. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  24. ^ Betancourt 2007, p. 177.
  25. ^ Brown & Miller 2009, p. 150.
  26. ^ "Cubata". Diccionario de la lengua española. 12 September 2018.
  27. ^ Kingwell 2007, p. 160.

References

External links
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