In bars across south America and The Caribbean, excited people celebrate with exotic, inspiring drinks. Using native ingredients, each country reinvent’s the cocktail uniquely.
The Origins of many cocktails are widely disputed from where they were first created to their proper and original ingredients. There are nevertheless, undoubtedly plenty of bona fide Cuban cocktails. The classic that appear time and time again on drinks menus around the world are Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mojito, Presidente and Ron Collins.
Daiquiri
Named after the Cuban town where it was born. Popularised by La Floridita and championed by Ernest Hemingway who regularly that renowned bar in Old Havana. Havana Club Especial Rum shook up with fresh lime, balanced with sugar. You may want to try a strawberry or raspberry version.
Mojito
As served in old Havana and probably the most famous Cuban cocktail. Havana Club Especial rum with crushed ice, mint, sugar, fresh lime juice and soda.
El Presidente
A classic created for the Cuban president during prohibition in the 1920’s. There are lots of recipes but the basic components are dark rum and vermouth. I like mine with Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros, sweet vermouth & Orange liqueur stirred with ice.
Ron Collins
This is the Cuban version of the gin based American Tom Collins, made with white rum, sugar, lime soda water and ice.
Cuba Libre
The simplest of Cuban cocktails, no more than white rum with cola and a twist of lime. It was given its name “Free Cuba” in 1902 after the country had broken free from Spanish colonial rule.
Caribbean Island Iced Tea
The ultimate tropical island tea break. Bacardi Superior, Bacardi Gold, Bacardi Oakheart and Gosling’s Back Seal rums all mixed with lime juice and vanilla syrup. Topped with Cola.
Madhatter 
Not your average tea party. Bacardi Superior, Bacardi Gold and Santa Teresa Gran Reserva rums with passion fruit and vanilla syrups, bitters and pineapple juice.
The ultimate, most popular Brazilian cocktail of all-time, the Caipirinha has transcended the country’s borders to become a staple classic on menus around the world. The blend of muddled lime, caster sugar and cachaça that’s topped with lashings of ice (cracked ice in Brazil; crushed ice everywhere else) is a firm favourite for its refreshing, fruity, sweet and sour flavour.
While cachaça is striving to make a name for itself in export markets around the world (just 1% of its 15bn litres are exported), the Caipirinha has become a classic cocktail mainstay on drinks lists.
Classic Caipirinha
Meaning “bumpkin” or “hillbilly”, a true drink of the people of Brazil. Fresh lime wedges muddled with sugar, folded with cachaca & crowned with crushed ice.
Red Berry Caipirinha
Cachaca stirred with freshly muddled raspberies, lime & Chombard liqueur. Nice & Fruity.