Overview
Popular throughout the world, the brandy sour cocktail has Cypriot origins – it is made from Cypriot brandy, which is milder than Cognac or Armagnac, along with fresh lemons, Angostura bitters, soda water (or lemonade) and ice.
The Cypriot style brandy sour was developed following the creation of the first blended brandy made in Cyprus, in the early 1930s – the credit for which belongs to the Hadjipavlou family. The cocktail was further developed at the Forest Park Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in the Troodos Mountains, in the hill resort of Platres.
Legend has it that the cocktail was made for the young King Farouk of Egypt, who often stayed at the hotel during his frequent visits to the island in the 1950s. The brandy sour was introduced as an alcoholic substitute to iced tea, as a way of disguising the Muslim monarch’s preference for Western-style cocktails. In turn, the drink spread to other bars and hotels in the area, before making its way to Cyprus’ coastal resorts, Nicosia and eventually throughout the world.
