It’s Friday and it’s cold here, so I want tropical cocktails. One of my absolute favorite rum drinks of all time is the Cuba Libre — it’s simple, it’s classic, and it works for just about any occasion (just like a fine Panama hat! Ha ha!), consisting of ice, rum, cola, and lime.

The origins of this drink are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it was first sipped in Cuba sometime around the turn of the 20th century. In the US, the Cuba Libre has morphed to become the more pedestrian and significantly less appealing rum and Coke. If you have never had a proper Cuba Libre, with all haste try the following:

Into a highball glass, put several ice cubes and 1 1/2 oz of rum. Traditionally, this drink uses a light rum, but I have to say that I prefer it with dark rum. You’re just going to have to try both. My choices for rum are Kraken (pictured above — a dark spiced rum) or Mount Gay Special Reserve (an aged light rum); to really get a little crazy, you might try Deco’s ginger rum. Add the juice of half a lime, then fill the rest of the glass with true and proper cane sugar sweetened Coca Cola. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Goes well with a Havana Fedora and a lazy, sunny afternoon.

Pictured above: vintage postcard from Havana, Cuba; found and submitted by Roff Smith.