How To Make The Perfect Rum And Coke | Cocktail Society

Rum & Coke is one of the most popular long drinks in the world. The unpretentious Highball is a smooth mix of sweet flavors chilled, served over plenty of ice.

The refreshing cocktail is delicious and easy to prepare, and with our recipe, you get more than just an average mix of Rum and Coke. That includes getting the ratio right, choosing the best rum, using enough ice, and choosing the best Coke to go with your rum.

Quick Facts Rum & Coke

• Method: Build in glass
• Flavor profile: slightly boozy, slightly on the sweet side
• How to serve it: over ice
• Best glassware: highball glass
• Alcohol content: ~ 13%, 19 grams of alcohol per serving

Hang on and read all tips to make the perfect Rum & Coke.

Table of Contents show Rum and Coke Recipe Which Type of Rum is Best? Our Rum Recommendations The Perfect Rum and Coke Ratio Which Coke tastes best in a Rum & Coke? Tips to make your Rum and Coke even better Related Cocktails

Rum and Coke Recipe

One of the most popular classic Highballs. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes Course: DrinksCuisine: AmericanKeyword: coke, rum Servings: 1 Calories: 189kcal Cost: $1.45

Ingredients

• 2 oz Rum
• 4-6 oz Coca Cola

Instructions

• Add a collins ice stick into a Highball or Collins glass.
• Add Rum first and then coke. Give the mix a quick but gentle stir.2 oz Rum, 4-6 oz Coca Cola
• Garnish with a slice of lime.

Nutrition

Serving: 7ozCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 16gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 4mgSugar: 16g Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Which Type of Rum is Best?

Above all, and as with every Highball recipe, the quality of ingredients matters. As long as you go for decent quality, you can basically use any type of rum - aged, unaged, spiced, etc., in a Rum & Coke.

Which one is best entirely depends on individual taste. However, you're probably not here for a generic answer like that. So if you don't have favorites, that answer won't help. Thus, we will tell you which rum we prefer in our Rum & Coke.

Our Rum Recommendations

Getting straight to the point, between the different types of rum and overall, we like an Añejo best for my Rum & Coke. It's rich, full-bodied, and sweeter than unaged rum.

To give you an idea of the differences, here's a short summary of the different types of rum with recommendations:

White Rum

White rum is a clear and unaged version. It's what you usually get in cocktails. The flavors of white rum are crisp, clean, and fresh.

Our recommendation for the best white rum in this Highball would be Flor de Cana 4 years Extra Seco. It is refreshing, crisp, affordable, and ideal for hot temperatures.

Gold Rum

gold rum is slightly aged, thus richer and warmer than white rum. These more robust flavors shine through when mixing them with Coke.

It is quite similar to dark or aged rum. The main difference is that it contains additives like caramel, which work nicely with Coke. My recommendation is Gosling's Gold Seal Rum.

Aged Rum

Aged rums, especially long-aged, offer a broad and exciting flavor profile. Often intended to be sipped neat on ice, the complex flavors of barrel-aged spirits make a very smooth Highball when mixed with Coke.

When choosing the right one, your usual long drink can taste like a carefully crafted cocktail. My recommendations for a dark rum are El Dorado 8 Years or Havana Club Añejo 7 Years.

Overproof Rum

Overproof rum contains around 60% alcohol by volume, some even more than 70%. The result is a very potent drink. If you want to give overproof rum a try, Smith and Cross Navy Strength Rum is a great way to start.

Spiced Rum

Spiced rum is a special category. Nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon are common ingredients to spice rum. Some people don't like that at all in Rum and Coke due to the high level of sweetness. Others swear by it, though.

A pro tip for a spiced Rum & Coke is to put the rum in the freezer before using it. The sugar will start to crystalize and create a fun effect when mixing it with Coke. Personally, I like the Kraken Spiced Rum for this.

The Perfect Rum and Coke Ratio

The perfect ratio of Rum and Coke is between 1:2 and 1:3. As it is a classic two-component recipe, proportions are essential for getting things right. And it is also about using enough ice.

I suggest you start with a Highball glass and fill it to the rim with quality ice. Pour in 2 ounces of rum followed by 4 ounces of Coke. That means you start with a 1:2 ratio. From there, you can gradually increase the amount of Coke until the drink is perfect for you.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the quality of your rum, the less Coke you will need. Generally, in a recipe based on white rum, your ratio should be more like 1:3. In a version made with aged rum, you're better off with a 1:2 approach.

Which Coke tastes best in a Rum & Coke?

The Coke part also has an impact on your drink. However, we don't want to start the obligatory Pepsi vs. Coke debate. -We definitely prefer Coke. No, we are talking about the differences between Coke from the US and from Mexico.

Have you ever been to Mexico and tried a Coke there? Did you notice a difference? Well, you should because American Coke is sweetened with corn syrup, and the Mexican version contains sugar cane.

Due to that small change, the Mexican version is way smoother, less sugary, and has almost no aftertaste. The fact that both, Mexican Coke and rum, are made with sugar cane is a plus, too.

You can get Mexican Coke in Hispanic supermarkets or order online.

Tips to make your Rum and Coke even better

Ice does make a huge difference in your highball. So you want to use plenty of large and crystal clear cubes. The higher the quality of your ice, the slower it will melt and the longer the fizz will remain in your drink.

To elevate your Rum & Coke further, add just a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice. The citrus notes will cut through the sweetness and create a more balanced drink.

Related Cocktails

You are looking for cocktails made with Coke? Check out some more of our cocktail recipes:

• the Cuba Libre 
• the legendary Long Island Iced Tea
•  If you like trying something different, the Argentinian Fernandito might be for you. 

Also, if you want to know what to mix next with that bottle of rum, here are our favorite Rum Cocktails.