To understand the rum and Coke is to know it by its classic name, the Cuba Libre. As the story goes, the drink was created in early 1900s Havana after the Spanish-American War. A U.S. Army captain living in the city was celebrating the recent victory at a bar, and he added Coca-Cola and lime to his rum, raising his glass and toasting with “Por Cuba Libre!,” or “to a free Cuba!” We can’t be sure if Bacardi was actually the spirit used in this cocktail history lesson, but that didn’t stop the brand from claiming that it was their rum in the fizzy drink. A century of Bacardi’s robust marketing efforts aside, it’s quite possible that their rum was in the drink, as it was a popular brand around the time of Cuban independence.