Cola

Sweet caramel-colored soda — the Cuba Libre and Roy Rogers mixer.

Mixers USA (1886)
Flavor profile: sweet

Cola is the global default soda: caramel-colored, sweet, mildly acidic, with proprietary spice blends. For cocktail use, Mexican Coca-Cola (made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup) is widely preferred for its cleaner flavor. In a Cuba Libre, cola meets aged rum and fresh lime — a drink whose simplicity is deceptive and whose quality depends on the rum, not the cola.

Common uses

Cuba Libre, Roy Rogers, Long Island Iced Tea.

Cocktails that use Cola

  • Cuba Libre — Rum and Coke with fresh lime — free Cuba in a glass
  • Roy Rogers — Cola and grenadine — the classic mocktail for those who want the bar experience