The brandy sour is a mixed alcoholic

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

considered the unofficial national cocktail of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

. While other forms of the brandy sour cocktail exist, the Cypriot variety is a distinct mixture, which only shares the basic

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and lemon flavourings with other variants. Both brandy and lemons are among Cyprus's major exports, and both have distinctive Cypriot characteristics.

History

The Cypriot brandy sour style was developed following the introduction of the first blended brandy made on Cyprus, by the Haggipavlu family, in the early 1930s. The cocktail was developed at the Forest Park Hotel, in the hill-resort of Plátres, for the young King Farouk of Egypt, who often stayed at the hotel during his frequent visits to the island. The brandy sour was introduced as an alcoholic substitute for

iced tea Iced tea (or ice tea) is a form of cold tea. Though it is usually served in a glass with ice, it can refer to any tea that has been chilled or cooled. It may be sweetened with sugar or syrup. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink that can be ...

, as a way of disguising the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

monarch's preference for Western-style cocktails. The drink subsequently spread to other bars and hotels in the fashionable Platres area, before making its way to the coastal resorts of

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...

Paphos Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of Pap ...

and

Kyrenia Kyrenia ( el, Κερύνεια ; tr, Girne ) is a city on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. While there is evidence showing that the wider region ...

, and the capital

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

Recipe and ingredients

A typical recipe for a Cypriot brandy sour includes: *5 cl (2 parts) Cypriot brandy (typically ''

KEO Keo may refer to: * Keo, another name for the Thổ people * The KEO satellite * KEO (beer), a brand of beer brewed in Cyprus * KEO (company), the largest beverage company in Cyprus * Keo, Estonia, a village in Estonia * Keo, Arkansas, a town i ...

VSOP'' or ''Haggipavlu Anglias'' brands) *2.5 cl (1 part) Cypriot

lemon squash Squash (sometimes known as cordial in British English, dilute in Hiberno English, and diluting juice in Scottish English) is a non-alcoholic beverage with concentrated syrup used in beverage making. It is usually fruit-flavoured, made from frui ...

*2–4 drops of bitters (''

Angostura Angostura may refer to: Places Mexico * Angostura, Sinaloa, a city in north-west Mexico ** Angostura Municipality, Sinaloa, a municipality in Sinaloa, Mexico * Puerto de la Angostura, Coahuila, site of the 1847 Battle of Buena Vista between Ame ...

'' or Cypriot ''Cock Drops'' brands) *Top up with

soda water Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...

(some use lemonade instead) *Ice Cocktail brandy produced in Cyprus is typically less strongly flavoured than cognac or armagnac, and most brands have a

caramel Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard. The process of caramelizatio ...

-biased aftertaste balance. Cyprus also produces distinctive, yellow-green coloured, bitter lemons — used by British author Lawrence Durrell for the title for his autobiographical novel '' Bitter Lemons of Cyprus''. These lemons are used locally to produce a bitter-sweet lemon cordial, which forms the sour and bitter base for the brandy sour cocktail. Bitters are added to taste, and while the locally produced ''Cock Drops'' brand is widely available on the island, the internationally recognised ''Angostura'' brand is increasingly used. These ingredients are added to a tall glass and stirred, before the glass is topped up with lemonade (for a classic, slightly sweeter drink) or soda water (for less sweetness and a more pronounced brandy flavour), and plenty of ice. It is quite common to decorate the Brandy Sour cocktail with sugar on the rim of the highball glass and a Maraschino cherry.

References

{{Cocktails Cocktails with brandy Cypriot cuisine Cocktails with bitters Sour cocktails

History

Recipe and ingredients

See also

References