Rum & Cocktails
Cuba is the birthplace of the world's most important cocktails — and rum here is not just a drink, but a cultural heritage.
The Three National Cocktails
Mojito — Cuba's most famous export (after cigars). White rum, fresh mint (Hierba buena), lime juice, sugar, and soda water. The perfect balance of sweet, sour, minty, and alcoholic. Available on every corner in Havana, the "Original Mojito" is mixed at the Bodeguita del Medio (whether Hemingway really drank there is disputed). Price: 2–5 € depending on location.
Daiquiri — Invented in the village of the same name near Santiago de Cuba (1898). White rum, lime juice, sugar, ice — mixed, not shaken. Hemingway made the Daiquiri famous at the Floridita in Havana, where he drank his "Papa Doble": double rum, half lime juice, no sugar, grapefruit juice. Price: 3–7 €.
Cuba Libre — Rum, cola, lime. The name dates back to 1898: US soldiers drank Cuban rum with Coca-Cola and shouted "¡Por Cuba Libre!" (To free Cuba!). The simplest and most consumed cocktail on the island. Price: 1–3 €.
Cuban Coffee
Cuban coffee is strong, sweet, and small — a Cafecito (espresso with sugar) is the everyday national drink. A Cortadito (with a splash of milk) or Café con Leche (with hot milk) for breakfast. The coffee is excellent — especially from the mountains of the Sierra Maestra and the Sierra del Escambray.
💡 Tipp
Order your Mojito in the small bars off the beaten tourist path — there it costs 1–2 € instead of 5 € and is often better because the bartenders use less sugar and more fresh mint.
