Ingredients
Drink
- 150 mllemonade, clear sparkling
- 150 mlsoda water
- 4to 6 dashes Angostura bitters
Also
- plenty of ice
- a slice of lemon
Optional
- a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime
To serve
- a tall glass
Directions
- Chill the lemonade and soda water thoroughly. Everything must be cold, because it is drunk in real heat and ice alone cannot chill warm mixers without watering them down.
- Fill a tall glass with plenty of ice.
- Use a lot of ice rather than a little, because more ice melts slower and keeps the drink cold to the last mouthful.
- Shake four to six dashes of Angostura over the ice before anything else. The number of dashes is the one thing people are particular about, and it is worth asking how someone likes it.
- Pour in the lemonade and the soda water together, in equal parts. Pour down the side of a tilted glass so it does not foam over.
- Stir once, gently, with a long spoon. The drink should turn a clear pale pink. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon if you like, which sharpens it considerably.
- Garnish with a slice of lemon and serve immediately with a straw. They give a herbal, faintly medicinal edge that stops the drink being merely sweet fizz, and without them it is just lemonade and soda.
Technique
- In South Africa a rock shandy sometimes means the same drink and sometimes includes a splash of lime cordial.
- It is served at cricket clubs, hotel bars and braais throughout southern Africa.
- Angostura bitters are the specific brand used and other bitters give a different drink.
Substitutions
- Any clear lemon soda in place of lemonade.
- Lime cordial with soda, for a related drink.
Variations
- With lime cordial as well, which is the South African version.
- Made with more soda, for a drier drink.
- With a measure of gin, which makes it a pink gin fizz rather than a rock shandy.
History
A staple of Zimbabwean hotel verandas and sports clubs, ordered by drivers and children as the respectable long drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rock shandy?
Rock shandy is a cocktail from Zimbabwe: lemonade and soda water reddened with Angostura bitters and lemon. A staple of Zimbabwean hotel verandas and sports clubs, ordered by drivers and children as the respectable long drink.
How long does Rock shandy take to make?
Rock shandy takes 3 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Rock shandy?
Yes, within limits. Any clear lemon soda in place of lemonade. Lime cordial with soda, for a related drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Rock shandy?
Chill the lemonade and soda water thoroughly. Everything must be cold, because it is drunk in real heat and ice alone cannot chill warm mixers without watering them down.
