Virgin Dive: The Cuba Libre | 1 down 274 to go

This is one for the summertime roof. Crushed ice for sure!

To our first foray -- the Cuba Libre! On Sunday -- gray day that it was -- The Partner and I were sitting around watching TV, not quite hung over from a great evening with friends and lots of wine & food the night before. Kinda looking for a hair or two of the dog, but not wanting to go crazy. The perfect occasion to start our Beverage Bible study. Thumbing through I find the CL. Coke is the modifier -- our favorite "soft drink" (as The Partner's fond of calling it because it's not as bad for you if you don't call it "Coke").

So our mixologist tour guides, Harrington & Moorhead, say the CL "hails from the Old School of American Bartending" and then go on to disparage it as "vapid…contrived" for "convenience not competence" and "rarely our first choice" (78).  Ha! So I suppose no big surprise then that this noob made it our first stop on this grand 275 cocktail tour.

H&M go on "it's worth setting the record straight: A Cuba Libre is not a rum and Coke"  (78).  Indeed not. In fact, it was the addition of bitters, gin, & lime juice to rum & Coke that allowed me to partake, given my disdain for rum & Cokes having learned how to drink (and get sick) on them. Be sure to use real Coke and not diet; and if you can, Mexican Coke. It's made with cane sugar. Don't let anyone tell you it tastes the same as high fructose corn syrup.

On our very first run-through my premise bore out. Three out of 5 ingredients are on my avoid list. But taken in combination with a couple other components made the concoction quite delightful. Light, not too sweet, a little fizz for texture. The bitters and the Coke even soothed our jumpy tummies from the riches of the night before. So much so that by the end of the second one The Partner passed me his empty Collins, nodded towards the bar and said with a warm, buzzy smile, "I could get used to these."

Cuba Libre
1 oz light rum 
1/2 oz gin
1/4 oz lime juice
2-3 oz Coke
2 dashes bitters


Pour ingredients except soda into chilled Collins  glass filled with ice.  Crushed ice is extra nice.  Top with Coke & stir.  Garnish with lime.

UPDATE:  The Cuba Libre featured prominently in two ways this summer.  First, as it has always been since first falling for it last March, it's an excellent hair-of-the-dog drink.  This makes total sense.  Back in high school when I worked in a pharmacy, we used to sell plain Coke syrup (sans bubbles) as a palliative for indigestion.  Ah, the wonders of Coke!  So the CL is a good one to do a quick turn around and start drinking again after a long night prior.

We also found that it was a good one to give you a jolt between waves at a party.  You know, when several guests have left the party, the evening is still young, energy is flagging, but you  don't want to crash, and more guests are on the way?  The CL gives a nice boost while keeping the party going.  I know, the amount of caffeine in the bev is minimal by today's standards.  But it could've been the original Red Bull and vodka back in the day.  One day on the roof this summer, R. enjoyed several, not having heard of one before.  In no time he was good to go!  

Viva la revolución!