When Life Gives You Límon, Make a Cuba Libre

Just about everyone knows the old phrase: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  Last week, John and I noticed that there were limes on a tree on one of the corners of our property.  Here in mexico a lime is called el límon.  We examined the tree noting that it had about 10-15 small sized limes, a few of them lightening in color.  We picked one and gave it to our neighbor and kept one for ourselves. I used that límon in tea, and honestly used way too much.  That tree had us intrigued though.  Neither of us have been known to like limes but the smell of the limes off that tree is nearly intoxicating. 

Over the next few days, we noticed that more of the limes had ripened, just starting to turn slightly yellow.  John picked several and when confronted with what to do with them, he decided to make a cuba libre, a drink that our friend Gustavo explained to us a while back.  Considering the fact that we both notoriously dislike lime, the cuba libre was a pleasant surprise worth sharing. 

John spent some time yesterday looking into what type of lime tree we had specifically, and all signs point to a key lime, which is exciting.  Key limes are a citrus hybrid and are actually yellow when ripe. They are characteristically smaller, seedier and smellier.  Supposedly key limes are one of the few limes that you can sprout the seeds and expect true to type results.  Meaning you can plant the seeds from a key lime and expect to get something very genetically similar to what you planted, something unheard of with most fruits.  The trees are notoriously covered in thorns, which sets them apart from the persian lime cousin most people in the United States are used to.

Not only can you plant the seeds, but these trees respond very well to cloning and grafting, making them an ideal citrus to grow.  The directions for germination seem to vary greatly on the internet so we're trying several routes. Today I planted two seeds directly from the lime into soil, and will document their progress if anything happens.  I've seen sources telling me I have to do everything from freeze them to dry them out before planting and wait several months, so we're just going to try different things and see what works for us.  As soon as I have the chance, I intend to go prune the tree and take cuttings, in an attempt to get a little nursery of key lime trees growing. In our research we found that while you get higher long term yields from seedlings, grafting and cloning speeds up the process to the point that you could get limes your first year almost for sure by your second year.  

So what's in a cuba libre?  Just coke, lime and rum, although the ratios really depend on your tastes.  I'm sure the average Mexican or Cuban uses quite a bit of the lime juice, wheras just a few drops of juice from our limes makes the difference for us.  Any more and it's over powered in our opinion and is just not the same.  

So start with a refrigerated glass and drop as much or as little lime as you'd like.  If you're not a huge fan of the lime flavor, less than five drops out of a lime will serve your needs.  

If you're looking for the best mix of ingredients with the least amount of mixing, start by adding a bit of coke in the cup after the lime.  Our coke bottles now sport the Coca Cola bear, as we are getting closer to Christmas.  I'd honestly prefer they keep these caps, as they're the cutest caps I've seen in Mexico. 

Then add whatever amount of bacardi you want, honestly depending on your tastes as well.  How drunk (or not drunk) are you trying to get? That is up to you!  After that fill the cup to the top with more coke.  The pouring action of the coke into the glass should adequately mix the ingredients, making your cuba libre complete. 

And honestly, despite my notorious dislike for both limes and mixed drinks, I really enjoy this one.  It's got the special flavor that the lime provides, and I honestly think the lime flavor masks the alcohol taste that I have a hard time with when drinking mixed alcoholic drinks.  The quality of the limes help, as they are for sure the freshest limes I've ever encountered.  I'm sure part of my aversion to limes comes from the under ripe things you find in the states, as well as the crappy artificial lime candy flavor that was common to candies of my childhood. They have more of a complete flavor with a hit of sweetness that makes them delicious.  I still won't drink a whole rum and coke, but put a few drops of a key lime in there and you've got me.  So next time life gives you limes, make a cuba libre. :)