Old Cuban

Old Cuban is a classic Cuban cocktail made with rum, lime juice, mint, bitters, and champagne. It is a refreshing and elegant drink that is perfect for any occasion.

Old Cuban recipe

• 4.5 cl aged rum
• 2.25 cl fresh lime juice
• 3 cl simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 6 to 8 mint leaves
• 6 cl champagne brut or Prosecco

Pour all ingredients except the wine into cocktail shaker, shake well with ice, strain into chilled elegant cocktail glass. Top up with the sparkling wine and garnish with mint sprigs

How to build an Old Cuban

1. Chill a cocktail glass first so the drink stays brisk and lively once poured. A well-chilled glass also helps preserve the sparkle added at the end.
2. Place the mint leaves in a shaker and add the rum, fresh lime, syrup, and bitters. Give the mint a very gentle press if needed, but avoid crushing it hard; you want aromatic oils, not bitter green flavors.
3. Fill the shaker well with ice and shake until the tin feels thoroughly cold. This drink benefits from a firm shake because it needs both dilution and lift before the sparkling topper goes in.
4. Double strain into the chilled glass to catch mint fragments and tiny ice shards. The result should look clean and elegant rather than leafy.
5. Top with the sparkling wine slowly, leaving enough room for a small fragrant garnish. Stirring is usually unnecessary; the bubbles will integrate the drink naturally.
6. Finish with a fresh mint sprig, ideally slapped once between your hands to wake up its aroma, then serve immediately while the mousse is still bright.

What it tastes like in the glass

The Old Cuban sits somewhere between a Mojito and a French 75, but with deeper, warmer character from aged rum. Expect bright lime up front, cooling mint on the nose, a touch of spice from bitters, and a dry sparkling finish that keeps the sweetness in check. It feels festive and refreshing, yet a little richer than most champagne-topped cocktails.

Why the Old Cuban became a modern classic

Despite its name, this is not a pre-Prohibition Cuban classic. It is generally credited to Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club in New York in the early 2000s. The name nods to old-school Cuban rum-and-mint traditions, but the drink itself is a modern creation that quickly earned contemporary-classic status.

Best pour, garnish, and easy alcohol-free riff

Use a dry sparkling wine rather than anything sweet, or the drink can turn soft and syrupy. A coupe or cocktail glass suits its polished style best.

For a non-alcoholic version, shake lime juice, simple syrup, a few mint leaves, and a couple dashes of non-alcoholic aromatic bitters with ice, then strain and top with chilled non-alcoholic sparkling wine or sparkling tea. It keeps the same celebratory mint-citrus profile without the rum.