I’ve heard it said that brandy and coke is South Africa’s national cocktail!
South Africa is home to the best brandy in the world, but any barman would agree there are more ways to enjoy this spirit than mixing it with coke.
Justin Shaw, the barman at Cause and Effect cocktail kitchen, has five reasons why people should stop drinking brandy with coke
- People need to stop drinking brandy with coke because you get more flavour from the brandy. When you drink brandy with coke, you’re just making a cool drink. We need to stop comparing brandy to cognac and admit that it’s better. We have to make brandy sexy again and make it relevant.
- Brandy is as dynamic as any other spirit out there. People need to drink it so they can understand the flavour.
- People need to become the ambassadors of brandy and to do that they need to stop mixing it and watering it down.
- Have the same approach to brandy as you would with whisky. Have it neat and let the water open up the flavours. Brandy is great in a cocktail so instead of having it with coke ask your bartender to make a brandy cocktail you don't just have to have it neat.
- The last point is because you deserve to drink good brandy. You deserve to taste what South Africa’s greatest export is really like.