Old Cuban Recipe

Branch out from a mojito with this bubbly, minty rum drink.

By
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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Updated April 03, 2025

On a bright and sunny day, what could be better than the icy, minty, rum-soaked goodness of a mojito?

This isn't a mojito. It's close, though—and maybe even better.

Think of the Old Cuban as what a mojito wants to be when it grows up. Suave and urbane, yet with the mojito's summer-busting power, the Old Cuban is one of the finest rum drinks around. A contemporary classic created by Audrey Saunders—she of Pegu Club fame—the Old Cuban is the cocktail to spring on your mojito-loving friends when you want to take them to a new dimension.

Recipe Details

Old Cuban Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 1 serving
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Ingredients

  • 6 mint leaves

  • 1 ounce simple syrup (or less, to taste)

  • 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

  • 1 1/2 ounces Bacardi 8 (or substitute another medium-bodied gold rum)

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • 2 ounces chilled sparkling wine

Directions

  1. In the bottom a cocktail shaker, combine the mint leaves, simple syrup, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

  2. Gently bruise the mint leaves with a wooden muddler or the end of a wooden spoon. Add rum and bitters.

  3. Fill shaker with ice, and shake well for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass (you may wish to use a tea strainer to remove the tiny flecks of mint).

  4. Top with 2 ounces chilled sparkling wine; garnish with mint leaf.

Special equipment

Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
204 Calories
0g Fat
17g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 204
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 7mg 35%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 74mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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