Old Cuban
Aged rum, fresh mint and lime meet dry Champagne in this elegant, sparkling modern classic.
Ingredients
- Dark rum, aged, Caribbean by preference45 ml
- Champagne, brut, well chilled60 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Mint, fresh leaves8 leaves
- Simple syrup (1 part Sugar, 1 part Water)30 ml
- Aromatic bitters (Angostura)e.g. Angostura2 dashes
- Mint, to garnish (optional)1 sprig
Method
- Put the mint leaves in the shaker and muddle them gently to release their oils without making the drink bitter.
- Add the rum, lime juice, simple syrup and Angostura bitters.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 8–10 seconds, until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe to remove any mint fragments and ice shards.
- Top up with cold Champagne or prosecco.
- Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and serve at once.
Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club
About this drink
Audrey Saunders created the Old Cuban in 2001, before making it a signature at her legendary Pegu Club in New York, as a luxurious cross between the freshness of the Mojito and the sparkling elegance of the French 75. It quickly became a modern classic and is often held up as proof that Champagne and rum belong together.
Questions and answers
What kind of drink is an Old Cuban?
A modern classic that crosses a Mojito with a Champagne Cocktail: mint and lime from the Mojito, bubbles and bitters from the Champagne Cocktail, tied together with aged rum.
Can you use prosecco in an Old Cuban?
Without any trouble. The drink loses a little of Champagne's finesse but otherwise stays true to its fresh, minty, sparkling character.
