Old Cuban

The Old Cuban is a cocktail created by Audrey Saunders in 2001 while working at Beacon. It made its official debut in early 2002 when Audrey placed it onto the cocktail menu at Bemelmans bar at the Carlyle Hotel. Saunders has kept the cocktail on her menus since then at all the bars she has managed.

Now considered a “Modern Classic” cocktail, many bartenders around the world pay tribute to Saunders by proudly including this drink on their menus.

Recipe

Old Cuban

• 6 mint leaves
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup (1:1)
• 1 1/2 ounces Bacardi 8 añejo rum
• 1 hard dash Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces high quality Champagne
• lime wheel and mint sprig or sugar coated vanilla bean

In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint with lime juice and simple syrup. Add rum, bitters, and ice and shake well. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into a large chilled Champagne coupe and top with Champagne. Garnish with lime and mint or vanilla bean.

(Source: Audrey Saunders)

External Links

• How the Old Cuban Became a Modern Classic (Robert Simonson, PunchDrink.com, June 16, 2020)
• An Old Cuban Is the Cocktail You Need for Sad, Dark Winter Times (GQ Magazine, January 20, 2018)
• The Old Cuban Recipe (NYT Cooking)
• Old Cuban Cocktail Recipe (Imbibe Magazine, May 16, 2016)
• Old Cuban: The Only Champagne Cocktail Worth Drinking on New Year's Eve (Playboy Magazine, December 27, 2013) via Archive.org
• Old Cuban Recipe (Serious Eats, August 24, 2007)
• Audrey Saunders Has Revived Bemelmans Bar (BusinessWeek, August 23-30, 2004) [subscription required]
• Double Strain Your Cocktails - Old Cuban Cocktail (YouTube: The Cocktail Spirit)
• Old Cuban (Diffords Guide)
• Old Cuban (PunchDrink.com)
• Old Cuban (Liquor.com)
• Old Cuban (Star Chefs)
• Old Cuban (Bacardi)