Brandy Sour (Cyprus) - Recipe and Ingredients

Recipe and Ingredients

A typical recipe for a Cypriot Brandy Sour should include:

• 2 measures Cypriot brandy (typically KEO VSOP or Haggipavlu Anglias brands)
• 1 measure Cypriot lemon squash
• 2-4 drops of bitters (Angostura or Cypriot Cock Drops brands)
• Top up with lemonade or soda water
• Ice

Cocktail brandy produced in Cyprus is typically less strongly flavoured than cognac or armagnac, and most brands have a caramel-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.