Cyprus Brandy Sour by Holiday Island Cyprus

For visitors on holiday in Cyprus and residents alike, a summer in Cyprus means wonderful balmy evenings spent with loved ones or friends sipping a delicious Brandy Sour as the sun sinks slowly in the west.

Brandy Sour could well be called the national drink of Cyprus , although plenty of local men will laugh and say that title belongs to Zivania. This is the local moonshine that keeps everyone warm during the brief, but cold, winter days, when a small nip is recommended by many to be the perfect way to start the day!

The taste of Brandy Sour is very distinctive as it combines light but full-tasting Cyprus brandy with the tang of locally grown lemons - sadly although many have tried to recreate it in their homes, lemon squash made in other European countries just isn’t the same!

The best way to enjoy Cyprus is to order your first Brandy Sour on the first evening of your holiday, relax and sip it as you enjoy the Cyprus countryside around you , or the view out over the azure Mediterranean “ you can almost imagine Aphrodite enjoying a Brandy Sour with her handsome Adonis!”

It is said that Brandy Sour was invented for King Farouk of Egypt whilst he was on holiday in Cyprus staying in the Forest Park hotel in Platres, Troodos. It is said that is was designed to disguise the Muslim kings liking for alcoholic cocktails, as it devised to have an uncanny resemblance to ice tea.

For each Brandy Sour you need-

1 measure of Cyprus Brandy

1 measure of Cyprus lemon squash (to taste)

a few drops of Angostura Bitters

Soda water

Plenty of ice and fresh lemon slices.

Pour the lemon squash into a long tumbler, add the brandy (if you don’t drink spirits, a Sour made in exactly the same way without the brandy tastes almost as good!) and the angostura bitters and mix well with a cocktail spoon. Add the ice cubes and top up with soda. Decorate with a lemon slice and serve immediately.

As they say in Cyprus Stini Yamass- Cheers!