What People Drink in Havana: 6 Traditional Beverages That Define the City

Havana drinks what its climate grows: sugarcane, citrus, and herbs shaped by sea air and tropical heat. Light, column‑distilled rum anchors social life, from family meals to storied counters along the Malecón. Cocktails are built for refreshment—bright acids, mint, and dilution to tame the sun.

This culture lives in neighborhood paladares and classic saloons alike, where musicians play son and bartenders prize balance over potency. The city’s maestros roneros steward a blending tradition that favors clean aromas and dry finishes, giving Havana’s drinks their unmistakable lift.

Cuban rum is a light, molasses‑based spirit distilled predominantly on column stills, then blended and aged to achieve clarity and dry elegance. Fermented sugarcane molasses is distilled into two key components: a flavorful aguardiente (often 60–75% ABV) that is aged in ex‑bourbon white oak, and a lighter destilado de caña. After charcoal filtration, maestros roneros blend these components and age them again to build complexity without heaviness. Typical bottled strength is 38–40% ABV in Cuba.

In the glass, expect a light body with vanilla, cane, and almond‑like notes, a hint of banana or citrus peel, and a crisp, drying finish. This style evolved to suit the island’s heat and the city’s preference for long, refreshing mixed drinks. Enjoyed neat after dinner, or as the backbone of most Havana cocktails, rum is both everyday and ceremonial. Brands like Havana Club, Santiago de Cuba, and Cubay reflect regional nuances, and the expertise of the maestros roneros—recognized internationally—anchors the spirit’s identity.

The Mojito is Havana’s most recognizable refresher, built on white Cuban rum, fresh hierbabuena (Cuban spearmint), lime juice, sugar, soda water, and plenty of ice. Preparation matters: gently bruise mint with sugar and lime to release aromatic oils without bitterness, add rum, fill with ice, and top with cold soda. The result is a bright, mint‑forward aroma over lime zest, with a lightly sweet, dry‑finishing palate and an effective but moderate strength of roughly 10–12% ABV once diluted.

Historically, the Mojito descends from the 16th‑century draque—an aguardiente, lime, and mint potable—modernized when refined rum became widely available. In the 20th century, La Bodeguita del Medio helped popularize the drink, though it wasn’t invented there. Today it’s ubiquitous across Old Havana patios and street‑side bars, especially at midday and late afternoon when the sun peaks. Locals favor balanced versions with restrained sugar and aromatic mint, a formula designed for the city’s humidity and long conversations.

The classic Daiquiri is a precise trio: white rum, fresh lime, and sugar, shaken hard and served straight up. Its origin is credited to engineer Jennings Cox near Santiago de Cuba around 1900, but Havana’s El Floridita refined it into a benchmark. Bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert popularized both the shaker version and the frappé style blended with fine ice. The standard cocktail lands around 18–22% ABV in the glass, with crystalline aromas of lime oil, cane, and a quick, dry finish.

El Floridita’s menu codified several variants, including the house Daiquiri No. 4 and the sugar‑free Hemingway Special with grapefruit and maraschino liqueur. The drink’s elegance matches Havana’s early‑20th‑century bar culture, when technique and temperature were obsessions. You’ll find excellent Daiquiris at El Floridita and contemporary hotel bars across Havana, often preferred in late afternoon as a cooling aperitif. Its enduring appeal lies in restraint: vivid citrus balanced by light, clean rum built for the tropical climate.

El Presidente is a stirred, spirit‑forward cocktail that showcases aged Cuban rum with dry or blanc vermouth, orange curaçao, and a touch of real pomegranate grenadine. Built over ice and strained, it delivers polished aromas of citrus peel and light oak, a satin texture, and a bittersweet orange finish. Depending on proportions, it sits around 22–26% ABV in the glass. Cuban rum’s light profile lets vermouth botanicals and curaçao aromatics shine without heaviness.

The cocktail emerged during the 1910s–1920s, Havana’s cosmopolitan boom fueled by U.S. Prohibition. Commonly credited to American bartender Eddie Woelke in Havana and named for a Cuban president of the era, it became a society staple in upscale clubs and hotels. In today’s Havana, you’ll see El Presidente on menus in Vedado and historic hotel bars as an evening aperitif—an elegant alternative to lime‑driven coolers. It pairs well with salty snacks and showcases the city’s preference for balance over sweetness.

Canchánchara blends raw cane spirit (aguardiente de caña or young rum), fresh lime, and honey tempered with a splash of water, traditionally served in small clay cups that keep it cool. The drink is rustic and fragrant: wildflower honey and cane on the nose, a tangy, earthy palate, and a gentle warmth. Depending on the proof of the base spirit and dilution, expect roughly 12–18% ABV. Using Cuban limon criollo brings a sharper zest compared to Persian limes.

Linked to Trinidad and to 19th‑century insurgents who mixed what they had in the countryside, the Canchánchara speaks to Cuban resourcefulness outside the capital. In Havana it appears at folk‑focused bars and paladares, often presented in earthenware to honor tradition. It’s sipped early evening or with simple grilled pork and yuca frita, when honeyed acidity cuts through richness. For travelers, it’s a window into pre‑cocktail‑era drinking shaped by agriculture—cane, citrus, and apiaries—rather than by imported liqueurs.

Few drinks are as democratic as the Cuba Libre: white or aged rum poured over ice with cola and a healthy squeeze of lime. The carbonation lifts rum’s vanilla and caramel, while lime brings structure; sweetness varies with cola choice and lime quantity. In a typical 1:2 or 1:3 rum‑to‑cola build, the finished drink sits around 8–12% ABV. The aroma reads cola spice and citrus, with a clean, refreshing finish that suits outdoor heat.

The mix likely took shape in Havana around 1900, when U.S. troops and American goods were present after the Spanish–American War and toasts of Cuba libre—free Cuba—were common. It quickly became a fixture at neighborhood parties, baseball celebrations, and seaside gatherings. On Havana’s Malecón, the drink’s simplicity and portability make it a sunset standard. While purists prefer high‑quality Cuban rum and plenty of fresh lime, the core appeal is cultural: an easy, uplifting highball born of a specific historical moment.