Cuba Libre

Even if you flunked Spanish 101, you probably already know that Cuba Libre means Free Cuba. This was both a battle cry during the Spanish-American War and a celebratory toast thereafter. Once Cuba had won its independence from Spain, Coca-Cola was sold freely on the Cuban market. It was a commonly mixed with Cuban rum—usually Bacardí—and a squeeze of lime. During the Second World War, American spirits were scarce outside the military, and the only substitute imported in substantial quantities was Caribbean rum. Due to the rationing of sugar, there were few products to mix with alcohol aside from Coca-Cola. Thus, the Cuba Libre surged in popularity. The harsh truth is that after Coca-Cola removed some of its more dubious components in 1903, we'll never know what the original Cuba Libre was like. But that shouldn't stop anyone from toasting “Por Cuba libre!”