Cocktail recipe
Old Cuban
A sophisticated meeting of aged rum, mint and Champagne: the Mojito dressed for evening.
Ingredients
- 45 ml (1½ oz) aged rum
- 22.5 ml (¾ oz) fresh lime juice
- 22.5 ml (¾ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- 60 ml (2 oz) chilled brut Champagne or dry traditional-method sparkling wine
- Garnish: 1 fresh mint sprig
Preparation
Gently press the mint with lime and syrup to release perfume without shredding the leaves. Add aged rum and bitters; shake briefly with ice and double-strain into a chilled coupe. Top slowly with cold Champagne to preserve the bubbles, then lift a fresh mint sprig over the rim.
Glassware
Chilled coupe
History
Audrey Saunders developed the Old Cuban in New York around 2001 while working at Beacon, with accounts also describing its completion at Tonic. An early working title was El Cubano. Her approach reimagined the Mojito with aged rum, bitters and Champagne rather than white rum and soda. Some references cite 2004, likely reflecting later circulation rather than the earliest documented development; Saunders's own career account places the creation in 2001.
Mixology View
The Old Cuban succeeds because the bubbles are part of the structure, not a decorative splash. Aged rum and aromatic bitters make this distinctly more layered than a Mojito; we keep the mint fragrant and the finish dry.