Old Cuban cocktail in a flute — Champagne

Old Cuban Cocktail Recipe

refreshing herbal sparkling

aged rum, lime juice, simple syrup, mint leaves, angostura bitters, champagne

History

The Old Cuban was created by Audrey Saunders around 2001–2002. She developed it while working at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle in New York and later made it a signature at Pegu Club (opened 2005). Saunders described it as “a Mojito in a little black dress”—aged rum, mint, lime, and sugar topped with Champagne and a couple of dashes of Angostura. It is not a Mojito poured into a flute: you shake and double-strain, then add the wine so the mint stays aromatic and the bubbles stay lively. If aged rum, mint, and lime are already in the pantry, this is the sparkling rum sour to mix before you buy a bag of crushed ice for a Mojito.

Ingredients

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How to make

  1. Chill a flute.
  2. Slap 6 to 8 mint leaves to wake the oils, then drop them in a shaker with ¾ oz simple syrup and muddle gently — bruise, do not shred.
  3. Add 1½ oz aged rum, ¾ oz lime juice, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
  4. Gold or dark rum from the pantry works if you do not keep a sipping aged rum.
  5. Shake with ice until the tin frosts.
  6. Double-strain into the flute so mint bits stay out of the bubbles.
  7. Top with cold Champagne (or a dry sparkling wine you already own) and stir once.
  8. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Glassware

Flute

Tall and narrow so sparkling wine stays fizzy longer and the bubbles rise in a clean stream.

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Flute glassware

Old Cuban FAQ

Is an Old Cuban a Mojito with Champagne?

Close, but you shake and double-strain it. An Old Cuban is aged rum, mint, lime, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters, strained into a flute and topped with Champagne. A Mojito stays in the glass on crushed ice.

What ingredients are in an Old Cuban?

An Old Cuban is made with aged rum, lime juice, simple syrup, mint leaves, angostura bitters, and champagne. Amounts and pantry matching are in the ingredients list on this page.

How do you make an Old Cuban?

Chill a flute. Slap 6 to 8 mint leaves to wake the oils, then drop them in a shaker with ¾ oz simple syrup and muddle gently — bruise, do not shred. Add 1½ oz aged rum, ¾ oz lime juice, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Gold or dark rum from the pantry works if you do not keep a sipping aged rum. Shake with ice until the tin frosts. Double-strain into the flute so mint bits stay out of the bubbles. Top with cold Champagne (or a dry sparkling wine you already own) and stir once. Garnish with a mint sprig.

What glass do you serve an Old Cuban in?

Serve an Old Cuban in a Flute. Tall and narrow so sparkling wine stays fizzy longer and the bubbles rise in a clean stream.

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