Rum and Coke Pie

From the promotional booklet Cooking with Coca-Cola, originally called "Cuba Libre Chiffon Pie"
"A grand finale dessert version of the popular rum and Coca-Cola drink."

1 cup sugar, divided
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup dark rum
1 cup whipped topping or whipped cream
1 9-inch graham cracker or chocolate cookie crust or baked pie shell
2 tablespoons grated lime peel

In top of double boiler, stir together 1/2 cup of the sugar, gelatin and salt. Stir in Coca-Cola. Beat egg yolks; stir into Cola mixture. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from boiling water, stir in lime juice and rum. Chill until mixture mounds when dropped from spoon.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Fold gelatin mixture into whipped topping then carefully fold this into egg whites.

Chill several minutes then pile into pie crust. Sprinkle with grated peel. Chill several hours until firm.

Makes 1 9-inch pie or 6 to 8 servings.

If desired, top with a dollop of whipped cream.

To reduce foam so Coca-Cola can be accurately measured, use at room temperature and stir rapidly.

A history of the Cuba Libre (thanks to this site)

During the Cuban War for Independence, in the late 1890s, Cuba's anti-colonial fighters, the Mambo, waged war against the Spanish colonial authority. One such fighter was the eldest son of Emilio Bacardi, his namesake Emilito, who rose to the rank of colonel during the conflict. El Coronel, as Emilito was known in later years, began his military service as aide de camp to Major General Antonio Maceo, Cuba's 'Bronze Titan', who fought the Spanish while seeking shelter in Cuba's dense forests (manigua).

In need of nutrition during the arduous hikes through the vegetation, Emilito and the anti-colonial fighters drank a concoction named Cuba Libre. The drink was named after the Cuban cry for independence, and was made from a combination of water and brown sugar as a substitute for coffee.

On 17 July 1898, Santiago de Cuba surrendered. Spanish rule in Cuba came to an end after Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders won at the Battle of San Juan Hill. Roosevelt and his victorious commander General Leonard Wood entered the city of Santiago de Cuba, where Wood was appointed regional military governor.

Having suffered imprisonment during the war, due to his anti-colonial activities, the president of Bacardi y Compañia, Emilio Bacardi, returned to Cuba from forced exile in Jamaica, and General Wood appointed him mayor of Santiago. General Wood left Emilio to lead Santiago as he moved on to become the appointed military governor of Cuba, and in December 1899 moved to the capital of Havana.

One day in August 1900 General Wood's personal messenger, Fausto Rodriguez, was introduced to a new drink that would continue to be popular throughout the world for more than a hundred years.

After the Republic of Cuba was born on 20 May 1902, General Wood left Cuba and Fausto returned to Santiago. In the following account to Emilito Bacardi, 65 years later, Fausto recalled:

"During the period of military intervention, two Americans opened and operated a bar called The American Bar on Neptuno Street in Havana. It was patronized almost exclusively by American soldiers and by American civilians who worked in the various government offices in Havana.

While I was employed at the office of the Signal Corps, I became quite friendly with an American whose last name was Russell (I do not remember his given name). He worked in the office of the chief signal officer. Mr. Russell frequently took me to The American Bar where he used to drink Bacardi rum and Coca-Cola.

One afternoon in August 1900, I went to The American Bar with Mr. Russell, and he drank his usual Bacardi rum and Coca-Cola. I just drank Coca-Cola, being only 14 years old. On that occasion, there was a group of American soldiers at the bar, and one of them asked Mr. Russell what he was drinking. He told them it was Bacardi and Coca-Cola and suggested they try it, which they did.

The soldiers said they liked it and wanted to know what the drink was called. When Mr. Russell told them that the drink did not have a name, one of the soldiers said, 'Lets give it a name', and another said, 'How about calling it Cuba Libre?' They all agreed and ordered another round, calling it a Cuba Libre. To my best knowledge this is the first time this phrase, Cuba Libre, has been applied to a drink."

During the American intervention, the words Cuba Libre, meaning Free Cuba, had a special political significance and were used a great deal by the Cubans and Americans in Cuba. It seemed quite natural that the American soldiers selected and applied this popular slogan to this drink which they considered indigenous to Cuba� The name caught on quickly and has remained popular to the present time.

The above account is from the publicity department of the Bacardi Company. An account in Wikipedia adds a few facts:

The Cuba Libre gained further popularity in the U.S. after the Andrews Sisters recorded a song (in 1945) named after the drink's ingredients, "Rum and Coca-Cola." Cola and rum were both cheap at the time and this also contributed to the widespread popularity of the concoction. This drink was once viewed as exotic, with its dark syrup, made (at that time) from cola nuts and coca.

Later on, during the 1970's in the United States, Cuban exiles would call it La mentirita (meaning: a little lie) referring to a Cuba that is not free.

The Cuba Pintada(stained cuba), and Cuba Campechana are also popular, especially among young people. The first is rum with club soda and just a little bit of cola (just enough that it stains the glass); the Campechana contains half club soda and half Coke.