MAGOUSTA Magic Drops Bitters 220ml

MAGOUSTA Magic Drops Bitters 220ml

Brandy sour

The brandy sour is a mixed alcoholic cocktail considered the unofficial national cocktail of Cyprus. Both brandy and lemons are among Cyprus's major exports, and both have distinctive Cypriot characteristics. The Cypriot brandy sour 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 Platres, 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, as a way of disguising the Muslim 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, Paphos and Kyrenia, and the capital Nicosia.

Recipe and ingredients

5 cl (2 parts) Cypriot brandy (typically KEO VSOP or Haggipavlu Anglias brands)

2.5 cl (1 part) Cypriot lemon squash

2–4 drops of bitters (Magousta Magic Drops Bitters or Angostura brands)

Top up with soda water (or lemonade, 7-Up or Sprite)

Ice

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.

This Alcoholic Beverage is not for sale to persons under 18 years of age. If the legal drinking age in your country of residence is higher than 18 you should not buy this product if you are underage. If sales of Alcoholic Beverages are prohibited in your country of residence you should not buy this product.