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The Cuba Libre – A World-Famous Cocktail That Originated With BACARDÍ Rum – Celebrates 125 Years
August 14, 2025
August marks Rum Month and a milestone anniversary for the BACARDÍ Cuba Libre cocktail
Hamilton, Bermuda, August 14, 2025 – Family-owned Bacardi celebrates the monumental 125th anniversary of the timeless Cuba Libre cocktail that combined drinks icons BACARDÍ® rum and Coca-Cola® for the first time. Since its creation in Havana, Cuba in 1900, this refreshing classic cocktail has become one of the most ordered cocktails in the world.
What began as a duo of two iconic drinks brands in one cocktail has since transpired into a partnership spanning multiple generations. More than a century later, Bacardi and Coca-Cola® continue their relationship and in 2025 launched BACARDÍ & Coca-Cola® Ready-to-Drink pre-mixed canned cocktails currently rolling out across the world.
Part cocktail, part rallying-cry, the story behind the original Cuba Libre cocktail is preserved in the Bacardi Archives and can be traced back to a celebratory moment in Cuban history at the end of the Spanish-American war. American soldiers stationed in Cuba – birthplace of BACARDÍ – brought Coca-Cola® with them for a taste of home which, soon became an island favorite soft drink. One August day, while celebrating Cuba’s victory at The American Bar in Havana, a U.S. Army Signal Corps captain decided to ask the bartender for his favorite Cuban BACARDÍ Rum mixed with Coca-Cola® and the squeeze of a fresh lime, sparking interest among others bar patrons. Soon the entire bar was drinking this enticing, new combination. The captain proposed a toast of “¡Por Cuba libre!” (For a free Cuba!) ─ a phrase exclaimed frequently by Cuban revolutionaries and Americans soldiers. The name caught on, and stuck. The cocktail soon spread beyond Cuba to become an international hit, beloved for its simplicity and refreshing taste.
A favorite among both bartenders and consumers alike, few rum cocktails have been able to stand the test of time like the Cuba Libre. It’s easy to master the Cuba Libre and make it your own. By simply combining just three ingredients – the world’s most awarded rum brand, the world’s favorite cola brand and a squeeze of fresh lime – a delicious taste of cocktail history is available at your fingertips at virtually any bar, anywhere, and even at home.”
Dickie Cullimore, Global Brand Ambassador for BACARDÍ
The Cuba Libre cocktail was itself a product of a revolution in rum-making. In 1862, in Santiago de Cuba, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó developed BACARDÍ, the world’s first smooth light-bodied spirit. Designed to be the ultimate mixing spirit, as it never dominates or dilutes the taste of the drink, BACARDÍ rum inspired the creation of other legendary cocktail recipes like the authentic Mojito, the original Daiquirí, and the Piña Colada. For more than 163 years, through seven generations of Don Facundo’s descendants, family-owned Bacardi has focused on innovation, consistency, quality, taste and excellence in rum-making.
Today, sipping this cocktail made with two iconic drinks brands still summons the same feelings of celebration, liberation and national pride as it did in 1900. In fact, the Rum & Coke® remains one the most ordered drinks worldwide, claiming the #6 spot on the 2025 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report.
To make the perfect Cuba Libre cocktail and take your drink beyond a Rum and Coke®, remember the squeeze of fresh lime makes all the difference.
Original BACARDÍ Cuba Libre
2 oz BACARDÍ Gold® rum
4 oz Coca-Cola® (bottled)
2 lime wedges
Ice cubes
Fill a highball glass with cubed ice. Squeeze juice of fresh lime wedges into the glass and then drop lime wedge rinds directly into the glass. Pour in BACARDÍ Gold rum and top with chilled Coca-Cola®, ideally bottled. Stir gently and enjoy responsibly.
About BACARDÍ® Rum – The World’s Most Awarded Rum
In 1862, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó revolutionized the spirits industry when he created a light-bodied rum with a particularly smooth taste – BACARDÍ. The unique taste of BACARDÍ rum inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world’s most famous recipes including the BACARDÍ Mojito, the BACARDÍ Daiquiri, the BACARDÍ Cuba Libre, the BACARDÍ Piña Colada and the BACARDÍ El Presidente. BACARDÍ rum is the world’s most awarded spirit, with more than 1000 awards for quality, taste and innovation. Today, BACARDÍ rum is made mainly in Puerto Rico where it is crafted to ensure the taste remains the same today as it did when it was first blended in 1862. www.BACARDÍ.com
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 163 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
