My Bar Bible / Cocktails / Mojito vs Cuba Libre
Mojito vs Cuba Libre
What is the difference between a Mojito and a Cuba Libre? Here are both recipes side by side, with exact measures, and what actually sets them apart.
The difference
- Both use lime juice and white rum.
- Only the Mojito has mint leaves, sugar and soda water.
- Only the Cuba Libre has cola.
- The Mojito is muddled, the Cuba Libre is built.
Mojito
| Mint leaves | 6 leaves |
| Sugar | 2 teaspoons |
| Lime juice | 30 ml |
| White rum | 45 ml |
| Soda water | top up, about 60 ml |
Havana’s highball, descended from an older rum drink called El Draque and made famous by bars such as La Bodeguita del Medio.
Cuba Libre
| White rum | 50 ml |
| Lime juice | 10 ml |
| Cola | top up, about 120 ml |
Free Cuba: rum and cola from around 1900, after the Spanish-American War, with lime to make it a cocktail.