Brandy Sour in Cyprus is widely proclaimed as the national drink, and it is best enjoyed during the hot and humid days of summer. This refreshing treat is a must-have after a hike across the island or even a dip in the ocean.
This delicious and flavorful drink is a unique blend of bitter yellow-green lemons, and Cypriot Brandy is just what you need to cool off and enjoy the Mediterranean sun.

BRANDY SOUR In Cyprus: A NATIONAL DRINK
This refreshing beverage, which quickly rose to become the most popular beverage in Cyprus, was first created for King Farouk of Egypt while he was visiting the Platres Village, high up in the Troodos Mountains. King Farouk had a profound fondness for Cyprus, and he would visit the valleys and villages of the Troodos Mountains as often as he could. The drink created to appease the King quickly grew to emerge as one of the most loved beverages across the island.
Every time you enter a hotel or a pub in Cyprus, you will find a large jug filled with Brandy Sour waiting to be shared amongst you and your friends. The refreshing beverage, much like the Spanish Sangria, is a light and breezy alcoholic drink, and you don’t have to worry about being heavily intoxicated consuming one too many glasses. It is the Cypriot alternative to an alcoholic iced tea!
Thanks to Cypriot Brandy, it is a lightly alcoholic beverage, which has a relatively low concentration of alcohol compared to other varieties of Brandy. This scintillating Cypriot drink is consumed in various recipes and cocktails; however, the traditional blend is unique and satisfying because of its flavorful ingredients.
Cypriots adore Brandy Sour, and it is the most popular beverage for game nights and evenings filled with music and laughter. Luckily, this refreshing drink is also effortless to prepare. If you want to the beverage to be as authentic as possible, we advise you to closely follow the recipe we are about to share with you in this article.
RECIPE
The recipe is quite simple. Since the taste is bitter and sweet, you need to focus on mixing up ingredients that are both bitter and sweet without allowing either flavor to overpower the blend. You only need brandy, lemon juice, sugar, and Angostura bitters to create this refreshing brandy sour in Cyprus.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Cypriot brandy
- 25ml undiluted lemon juice (preferably yellow-green lemons)
- 25ml lemonade
- 2 drops Angostura bitters
- Soda water
Directions:
- Take a tall glass to pour in the brandy.
- Now, add in the undiluted lemon juice and lemonade mixture, and mix it vigorously.
- Then, add the two drops of Angostura bitters, and mix again.
- Mix in some soda water, and then top up the glass with ice cubes.
- Garnish the glass with a slice of freshly cut lemon, and serve immediately.
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