Old Cuban
Aged rum, lime, mint, sugar and bitters, shaken and topped with Champagne. Audrey Saunders's 2001 drink — a Mojito that went to a wedding.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the mint leaves, lime juice and syrup to a shaker and muddle gently.
Add the rum and bitters, fill with ice, and shake hard for 10 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe, top with Champagne, and float a mint leaf.
A thoughtful finish
- Muddle the mint gently — bruise, don't shred — and double strain so no fragments reach the glass.
- An aged rum with real oak character is the point; a gold rum with caramel colouring makes a thin drink.
- Saunders's original is sweet by modern standards. Cut the syrup to three-quarters of an ounce if your sparkling wine is on the sweeter side.
Common mistakes
- White rum, which makes it a Mojito with bubbles.
- Skipping the bitters. They are what makes the drink taste aged rather than merely fizzy.
- Topping with too much wine. Two ounces lifts it; four drowns it.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between an Old Cuban and a Mojito?
Aged rum for white, Angostura bitters, Champagne instead of soda, and it is served up rather than long. It is a Mojito in evening dress.
Which rum?
An aged rum with genuine oak — a Cuban-style añejo or a Barbados or Guyana rum of five years or so. Not a spiced rum, not a dark blended one.
Can I use prosecco?
Yes. A dry (brut) prosecco or cava works; the drink is forgiving of the wine as long as it is dry and cold.
Who is Audrey Saunders?
The New York bartender who ran Bemelmans Bar and opened Pegu Club in 2005, trained a generation of bartenders, and created the Old Cuban, the Gin-Gin Mule and others.
Variations
- Mojito — White rum, lime, mint, sugar and soda.
- French 75 — Gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne.
- Gin-Gin Mule — Gin, lime, mint and ginger beer.
- Airmail — Rum, lime, honey and Champagne.
Where it comes from
2001 · New York City · Audrey Saunders · Beacon / Bemelmans Bar
Audrey Saunders created the Old Cuban around 2001, first at the restaurant Beacon and then at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, as a Mojito for a Champagne bar: aged rum in place of white, Angostura for depth, and sparkling wine in place of soda. She has called it a cross between a Mojito and a French 75. It travelled with her to Pegu Club in 2005 and became one of the defining drinks of the New York revival, and it is now on menus everywhere — one of the few modern cocktails to have become a wedding standard.
Sources
- Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club recipes, 2005 (interview)
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
Strength. About 1.52 US standard drinks at an estimated 13.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
A keeper?
Save this drink for your next cocktail hour.
Saved in this browser.The next great drink
might already be on your shelf.
Choose your bottles and mixers. Discover what you can make.