Brandy sour, the drink known in bars all over the world, has its own peculiar history in Cyprus. The anecdote goes that the Cypriot brandy sour was invented in Nicosia in the early fifties. The then king of Egypt, Farouk, lived for long periods of time in the splendid Ledra Palace hotel (which is now the HQ of British UN soldiers). The king loved the Cypriot brandy and copious amounts of it were carried to his suite from the hotel bar. To avoid embarrassing attention the bartender invented for him a drink which looked quite innocent because he flavored it with angostura.

The Cypriot brandy sour is made of the local brandy, sweet lemon quash, a lot of soda water and with a few drops of angostura. Ice cubes and slice of lemon give the finishing touch. Some creative modern bartenders add a little local orange liquor, Filfar, and decorate the drink with a fresh sprig of mint. Yia mas, as the Cypriots say!