How will the world end? Will we go the way of the dinosaurs and surrender to a fiery asteroid? Will hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis reassert the natural order? Or will it end because of us? Will it be humanity’s lust for power, influence, and safety that brings about our end? In 1962, only moments away from a self-induced apocalypse that would have engulfed the world in fire, the world had to wonder. Hi, my name is Gabe Bauer, and this is Top Shelf History, where we combine great stories with great drinks.
This is the Cuban Cold Call. It is the cocktail I have made for you today, based on the harrowing events that transpired in October of 1962. The drink is composed of rum, vodka, lime juice, absinthe, and Coca-Cola. It is reminiscent of a Cuba Libre with some very stark twists.
The 1960s were a tumultuous time. The Cold War was in full swing, and both the U.S.S.R. and the United States were near their most powerful, and most dangerous. In 1961, tensions between the two superpowers began to climax with the building of the Berlin Wall. Between the confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie, the separation of East and West Berlin, and both sides keeping their tanks locked and loaded, the world watched and waited to see if World War III would soon begin.
In 1962, the dark shadow of war loomed even closer when Major Richard Heyser photographed a Soviet SS-4 medium range ballistic missile being assembled… in Cuba. Cuba, under the leadership of communist dictator Fidel Castro, was heavily dependent on and incredibly supportive of the U.S.S.R. Soviets and Americans might have lived on opposite sides of the earth, but Cuba was only 90 miles of water away.
Understandably, the discovery of this weaponry sent the Americans flying into a fury of panic. If it was true, these missiles meant the U.S.S.R. had nuclear warheads on Florida’s doorstep. From Cuba, a medium range missile could make any city on the east coast a viable target. After a good panic, President John F. Kennedy and his staff were left to wonder, what do we do? After all, it was just a year earlier, in (insert year), that the U.S. had negotiated with Soviet Premier Khrushchev not to go to war. And yet, here they were, egging each other on. The president had a few options in front of him, and most of them were terrible.
First, he could invade Cuba… again. In April of 1961, the U.S. had attempted to secure the western hemisphere by deposing the communist regime in Cuba. It’s known as the Bay of Pigs invasion, and it… well it failed. If they tried again, the chances of it ending in a violent disaster and beginning a war that would result in the loss of millions of innocent lives were too high.
Another option was subterfuge. They considered sending anti-Castro Cubans living in America to lead a gorilla campaign to depose the communist leader—which could have worked. But still, the risk of starting global thermonuclear war was too high.
So, after bouncing around suggestion after suggestion, President Kennedy decided upon utilizing a blockade. It wouldn’t save Cuba or the western hemisphere from communism, but at the very least, it could stop the supply chain between Russia and Cuba and halt the development of their missile silos and bases.
On October 24th the blockade surrounded the island. On October 27th a reconnaissance plane was shot down. And on (insert date) the United States had an invasion force prepped and ready to go in Florida. It was getting real! But as the world collectively held their breath, Soviet Premier Khrushchev and President Kennedy had a chat. Well, they had a few chats actually. Somewhere in the conversations between these two very opposed leaders, a deal was made. In exchange for the missiles being removed from Cuba, America would not invade Cuba. The U.S.S.R. also requested that the U.S. remove their missiles from Turkey, which publicly America ignored, but privately, accepted and carried through. And with that, a massive, massive sigh of relief was breathed by… well everyone!
Isn’t it comforting that history has always been bordering on the insane? Somehow, people still manage to survive, thrive, and smile in pictures (at least in America). Let’s dive into our drink.
As I said at the beginning of today’s episode, our goal here is to rethink the Cuba Libre, which is a combination of Bacardi rum and Coke. So, we begin with that famous rum born in Cuba, adding 1 oz. Nowadays, a lot of the Bacardi sold in the states is also produced in the states, but its spirit is still Cuban. Next, we will add the major proponent of Cuban Communism, Russian liquor, adding (how much?). To freshen the drink up and awaken our senses a bit, let’s also throw in ¼ oz of lime juice. The stark tart will cut through the alcohol, while at the same time playing well with the ingredients. Now, before we mix our ingredients together properly, we have to acknowledge that this conflict was one of nuclear proportions. So, to represent that power and overwhelming potential for destruction, we will add ¼ oz of absinthe. It’s bright green, has a powerful flavor, and if you believe it’s reputation, definitely carries the potential for danger. It’s like radioactivity in a liquor. Now that we have all of our elements together, let’s give it a shake and pour into our highball glass.
That green seems so ominous… like an overly potent, alcoholic Mountain Dew. But to finish this off we still require one thing: freedom (clear throat), I mean our American element, Coca-Cola. Pour that on top and mix slowly with our spoon and there you have it: the Cuban Cold Call. That looks more innocent than it is. Let’s give it a taste!
Mmm. It’s almost a battle of flavors—you can taste the sweetness of the rum, the booziness of the vodka, and then Coca-Cola works to bring things together with its fizzy sugariness. But it’s the absinthe that hits hardest. Much like the conflict itself, the looming danger of nuclear war overshadows the petty squabbles and shortsighted agendas of governments near and far. It’s almost like an existential experience in a glass.
