The Old Cuban recipe
for your table
Place a coupe in the freezer for ten minutes or fill it with ice and water.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for twelve seconds; the ice extracts the oil from the mint.
Discard the ice from the coupe and double-strain the cocktail into it, so no bits of mint end up in the glass.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you want to add something, we will review it before it is posted here.
Save this recipe
Send the Old Cuban recipe to your own email, so you have it at hand when you are ready to make it. You will also receive a €5 discount code for orders from €50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
The Old Cuban is younger than its name suggests. New York bartender Audrey Saunders created it in 2001, during the years when classic cocktails were making a comeback in the city. Dale DeGroff, one of the pioneers of that movement, hired her that year as bar manager of Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel. In 2005, she became a partner at Pegu Club, a bar that strongly influenced the modern cocktail scene. For the Old Cuban, Saunders took the building blocks of the Mojito: rum, lime, sugar, and mint. She finished it like a champagne cocktail, with bitters and a topping of bubbles. The Old Cuban is now on the IBA's official list.
The right glass
An Old Cuban is served without ice in a chilled coupe of 24 to 26 cl. The IBA calls for an elegant cocktail glass, and the coupe is the best fit: its wide, shallow bowl gives the mint and rum room to release their aromas, while the bubbles remain at the top, where you taste them. With the champagne added, the total comes to around 19 cl, so a small glass will overflow. View our champagne coupe glasses.
RCR Timeless Champagne Glass / Coupe 26 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 79,90.
The right tool
For an Old Cuban, in addition to the glass, you’ll use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a bitters bottle. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you’ll find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 160,70.
What do you use to make an Old Cuban?
For an Old Cuban, you need rum, champagne, and prosecco. Well-known bottles include Havana Club Añejo Especial and Angostura. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Using prosecco instead of champagne makes it fruitier and softer; the IBA lists both. For a drier drink, use 2 cl of sugar syrup. Some bartenders lightly muddle the mint in the shaker first for a stronger mint flavor, but this risks bitter notes. Leave out the mint and bubbles, and you’re left with an aged Daiquiri with bitters. If you like bubbles with bitters, try the classic Champagne Cocktail, and for a rum cocktail without sugar syrup, the Hemingway Special.
Servingtip
Pour in the champagne at the last moment, along the inside of the glass, to retain more carbonation. A fine strainer is no luxury here: without one, you will find bits of mint on your tongue. Take a look at our cocktail strainers. Clap the sprig of mint for the garnish between your hands once to release its aroma.
Good to know
Making an Old Cuban without a shaker
If you do not have a shaker, use a clean jam jar of at least half a liter with a tightly sealing lid. Add the mint, rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, and Angostura, fill the jar two-thirds full with ice, and shake as hard as you can for twelve seconds. Then strain through a tea strainer into the chilled coupe, because loose bits of mint in your glass are not pleasant. Top with champagne as in the recipe.
Which rum works best in an Old Cuban
The IBA calls for aged rum, and that is no minor detail. Rum that has spent a few years in wood brings notes of vanilla, caramel, and spice, filling the space left by the mint and lime juice. A light, Cuban-style aged rum such as Havana Club Añejo Especial keeps the drink fresh and dry. Diplomático from Venezuela is rounder and sweeter; in that case, reduce the sugar syrup by half a centiliter. White rum works too, but then you mainly taste a sparkling Mojito and miss the depth that makes this cocktail special.
Difference between an Old Cuban and a Mojito
Both start with rum, lime, sugar, and mint, but that is where the similarity ends. You build a Mojito in a highball glass: muddle the mint with sugar, add rum and lime, then top up with crushed ice and soda water. It is a long, light thirst-quencher. The Old Cuban is shaken, double-strained, and served without ice in a coupe, with aged rum instead of white rum and champagne instead of soda. The Angostura adds a spicy layer that the Mojito lacks. The result is shorter and drier, more aperitif than summer drink.
Champagne or prosecco in your Old Cuban
The IBA mentions both, and you can taste the difference. Brut champagne is dry, has a finer mousse, and brings notes of bread and citrus that pair well with aged rum. Prosecco is fruitier and often slightly sweeter, making the cocktail softer and more approachable. With prosecco, choose brut rather than extra dry, because confusingly, the latter is sweeter. Whichever you choose, the bottle should be ice-cold; otherwise it will foam over and the bubbles will disappear within a few seconds.
Making an Old Cuban for a group
For a group, prepare the base in advance. Per person, mix 4.5 cl rum, 2.25 cl lime juice, 3 cl sugar syrup and 2 dashes Angostura in a bottle or jug and refrigerate for at least an hour. Add the mint only when shaking; otherwise it will turn brown and bitter. Shake enough for two glasses with fresh mint and ice, double strain and top each glass with champagne. A 75 cl bottle fills twelve glasses. Do not squeeze the lime juice more than a few hours in advance, as it will lose its freshness after that.
How much alcohol is in an Old Cuban
Expect 13 to 14 percent in the glass. The 4.5 cl of 40 percent rum provides 1.8 cl of pure alcohol, while the 6 cl of 12 percent champagne adds another 0.7 cl. Together, that is about 2.5 cl, divided over a glass of around 19 cl after shaking and topping up. That amounts to approximately two standard drinks. Because of the bubbles and mint, it drinks lighter than it is, so as an aperitif, one glass per person is a good starting point.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Old Cuban?
An Old Cuban is a modern classic made with aged rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, mint and Angostura, shaken and topped with brut champagne. Audrey Saunders created it in New York in 2001. It tastes like a dry cross between a Mojito and a French 75 and is on the official IBA list.
What is in an Old Cuban?
According to the IBA, it contains 4.5 cl aged rum, 2.25 cl fresh lime juice, 3 cl sugar syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 6 to 8 mint leaves and 6 cl brut champagne or prosecco. The champagne is poured on top last.
Can you make an Old Cuban with prosecco?
Yes, the IBA explicitly lists prosecco as an alternative to champagne. The cocktail will then be fruitier and smoother. Choose a brut prosecco, because extra dry is sweeter, and optionally use half a centiliter less sugar syrup so the drink stays dry.
Which glass do you use for an Old Cuban?
A chilled coupe glass holding 24 to 26 cl. The cocktail goes into the glass without ice, so a stem is useful, and the wide bowl allows the aroma of mint and rum to come through nicely.
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, delivered as a set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →