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Overview

Cuba Libre

Rum and Coke, Mentirita

This cuba libre recipe builds white rum, cola and fresh lime juice over ice in a tall glass — no shaking, no fuss, ready in 5 minutes. One serving is one tall glass, about 278 g, and carries about 167 calories. It is the Cuban original born in Havana around 1900, when rum met the newly arrived cola and a squeeze of lime.

Cuba libre means 'Free Cuba', the battle cry of the Cuban independence fighters, and the drink's story is tied to the island's freedom. The usual account says it was first mixed in a Havana bar in August 1900, when Coca-Cola had just arrived in Cuba and a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps ordered Bacardi rum with Coca-Cola, ice and lime — a story recorded in a 1965 affidavit by Fausto Rodriguez, who said he was there as a 14-year-old messenger. Historians note the details are disputed, but the drink itself is not: rum, cola and lime became Havana's highball, and the International Bartenders Association now lists it as a Contemporary Classic, with 50 ml of white rum, 120 ml of cola and 10 ml of fresh lime juice.

Pairs well with: Cuban sandwich, tostones and lime wedges, with a glass of water

Provenance

Cuba flag Cuba

Cuban Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

5m

5m prep • 0m cook

Batch Yield

1 Servings

167 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 278 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (No Cooking)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Inappropriate

Dinner

Inappropriate

Snack & Tea

Ideal Light Bite

Occasions: Summer evenings, barbecues, parties, aperitif hour — adults only Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Sweet Rich Vegetarian
Close-up of a Cuba libre in a tall glass with ice and a lime wedge

Cuban Heritage

Photo: Ralf Roletschek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

A true Cuba libre is built in the glass: rum and fresh lime over ice, topped with cola — the lime is essential, not optional.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 5m
P

Prep Stage: Ice, Lime and a Tall Glass

5 Mins • Cutting & Measuring

Chill a tall highball glass in the freezer for a few minutes. Cut the lime into wedges, squeeze the juice for the drink, and measure the rum and cola. With a drink this simple, cold ingredients and fresh lime are everything.

Maestro Tip: Chill the glass and the cola — a warm glass melts the ice and flattens the fizz before you finish the drink.

  1. 1

    Fill the Glass with Ice

    1 Min Ice-cold, about 0°C (32°F)

    Fill the chilled highball glass to the top with ice cubes. A full glass of ice keeps the drink cold and slows the melting that would water it down.

    Use large cubes if you have them — they melt far more slowly than small ones.

    Done when: The glass is full of ice to the rim.

  2. 2

    Add the Rum and Lime Juice

    1 Min No heat

    Pour the white rum and the fresh lime juice over the ice. The lime juice goes in with the rum, not after the cola, so its sharpness runs through the whole drink.

    Measure the rum — a heavy hand turns a light highball into a strong one.

    Done when: Rum and lime juice are in the glass over the ice.

  3. 3

    Top with Cola

    1 Min Serve ice-cold, about 4°C (39°F)

    Pour the chilled cola slowly down the side of the glass so it keeps its fizz. Fill the glass almost to the top, leaving just enough room for the lime wedge.

    Pour gently — a hard pour from a height drives the bubbles out at once.

    Done when: The glass is nearly full, dark with cola, and still fizzing.

  4. 4

    Stir, Garnish and Serve

    2 Mins Serve ice-cold, about 4°C (39°F)

    Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass, drop it in, and stir once or twice from the bottom with a long spoon — just enough to mix the rum through the cola without flattening the fizz. Serve at once, while the ice is still hard and the cola is still sparkling.

    Stir gently and only once or twice — hard stirring is what kills the bubbles.

    Done when: A cold, fizzing highball with a lime wedge in the glass, ready to drink.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve ice-cold in a tall glass, while the cola is still fizzing — a Cuba libre is built to be drunk at once, not left to go flat.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

167

kcal / serving

Protein

0g

Complete AA

Carbs

15g

Complex

Fats

0g

Healthy

Per serving (1 servings · 1 serving ≈ 278 g)
Energy167 kcal
Protein0 g
Carbohydrates15 g
Fat0 g
Fibre0.3 g
Sugar13.1 g
Sodium5 mg
Per 100g
Energy60 kcal
Protein0 g
Carbohydrates5.3 g
Fat0 g
Fibre0.1 g
Sugar4.7 g
Sodium2 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C from the fresh lime, with small amounts of potassium. Nutrition is estimated.

Fresh Lime for Vitamin C

The fresh lime juice adds vitamin C and a sharp, fresh edge that plain cola never has.

No Syrup, No Cream

The sweetness comes from the cola alone — no extra syrup, no cream, nothing heavy.

Lighter Than Creamy Cocktails

At about 167 kcal a glass, a Cuba libre is lighter than creamy cocktails such as a piña colada, which can carry twice the energy.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Cuban Sandwich

A pressed Cuban sandwich is the classic partner — its salty pork and cheese stand up to the cold, fizzy drink.

Tostones

Crisp twice-fried plantains with a little salt are made for sipping alongside — crunchy, salty and easy to share.

Ceviche

Cold, lime-cured fish with onion echoes the lime in the glass and keeps the whole table light and fresh.

Drinks

A Glass of Water Between Drinks

Water between cocktails keeps the evening lighter and the next glass tasting fresh — a simple habit that makes a real difference.

Complete menu

Serve a Cuba libre with a Cuban sandwich and tostones, then fresh fruit — a Havana evening, with water on the table between drinks.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Driving After Drinking

This drink contains about 16 g of alcohol, which impairs driving — never drive after drinking, even after one glass. This is general information, not medical advice.

Drinking on an Empty Stomach

Alcohol is absorbed faster on an empty stomach, so the drink hits harder — eat something first, such as a sandwich or tostones. This is general information, not medical advice.

Skipping the Lime

Without fresh lime, this is just rum and cola — the lime is what makes it a Cuba libre, so do not leave it out. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsFor adults of legal drinking age only — one glass is about 167 kcal and contains about 16 g of alcohol, so one glass is enough for most evenings.
  • ChildrenNot suitable for children — this drink contains alcohol.
  • ElderlyAlcohol affects older adults more strongly — keep to one small glass and ask your clinician.
  • Pregnant womenNot suitable during pregnancy — alcohol can harm the baby; ask your clinician.
  • Breastfeeding womenNot suitable while breastfeeding — alcohol passes into breast milk; ask your clinician.
  • AthletesAlcohol slows recovery and disturbs sleep — skip it on training days.
  • Weight gainAbout 167 kcal a glass, mostly from alcohol and sugar — it adds energy without filling you up.
  • Weight lossAlcohol calories add up fast — one glass is enough, and water between drinks helps.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesSugar and alcohol can both affect blood sugar — keep to one glass and ask your clinician about your portion.
  • High blood pressureAlcohol can raise blood pressure — keep to one glass or skip it, and ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseAlcohol adds fluid and strain for the kidneys — ask your clinician whether any alcohol fits your plan.
  • GoutAlcohol can trigger gout flares — ask your clinician before drinking.
  • Stomach issuesAlcohol and lime acidity can irritate a sensitive stomach — drink with food, and ask your clinician if it keeps bothering you.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseAlcohol affects the heart — keep to one glass or skip it, and ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverAlcohol is a leading cause of fatty liver — avoid this drink and ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains no major allergens. Free from milk, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish, soy and shellfish. The rum is distilled from sugar cane.
  • Special therapeutic dietsAsk your clinician or dietitian before drinking — most therapeutic diets exclude alcohol.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Drink at once — a Cuba libre is built to be served immediately.
In the fridge
Without ice, the mixed drink keeps 1 day in a sealed jar in the fridge, but the cola goes flat.
In the freezer
Not recommended — freezing ruins the fizz.
How to reheat
Do not heat — serve ice-cold.
Freezing recommended
No — the fizz and flavour do not survive freezing.
Signs it has spoiled
Flat with no fizz, or a stale lime smell — build a fresh one.

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