The most refreshing of South African shandies. Rock shandy is a firm pool-side/beach-side favourite or 'braai' accompaniment. Only three ingredients needed; lemonade, soda water and bitters. Add a slice of lemon or a fancy lemon peel twist to this glass of beautifully ombre'ed goodness and you're ready to go!
For other South African recipes, why not try this easy South African Bobotie with basmati yellow rice. Alternatively, for more refreshing drinks, try this Aussie equivalent to Rock shandy, lemon lime and bitters, or this strawberry lassi if you fancy something creamier.
What's to love about this Rock shandy
- Very easy and quick to make and only three ingredients needed.
- Great for people who don't like an overly alcoholic taste to their drink.
- Looks impressive with it's ombre effect.
- Can be dressed up with various lemon decorations.
- Scalable as long as you keep to equal measures of lemonade and soda water. Adjust the amount of bitters to your liking.
Jump to:
Key ingredients
- Lemonade
- Soda water
- Bitters - We use Angostura bitters
- Ice
- A lemon slice or lemon peel twisty
How to assemble a Rock shandy
- Add your preferred amount of ice to the glass
- Add lemonade and soda water and give it a quick stir
- Add a few dashes of bitters
- Decorate the glass - Enjoy!
How to make a lemon peel twisty
- Use a standard kitchen peeler to peel a longish ribbon of lemon peel. Try to go around the widest circumference of the lemon without breaking your 'string'.
- Lay the string flat onto a cutting board and slice a thin strip of peel along the entire length of the ribbon. You can make this as thick or thin as you wish.
- Twist the strip around your finger and hook on the side of the glass.
FAQ
Angostura bitters contain 44.7% alcohol. If you add 5ml of bitters to 250ml of zero alcohol liquid (soda and lemonade) it will make the total alcohol percentage of the drink 0.87647059%.
This is a very low alcohol percentage and almost impossible to make you drunk. It's still not suitable for kids and teetotallers though. Pregnant women should make their own call.
As a comparison, a standard beer contains between 3-4% alcohol.
Citrussy with a very small amount of bitterness. It does not *taste* bitter as such, but the bitterness plays a silent roll in the background that completes the drink. A tiny whiff of herbs can also be detected from the bitters.
This combination of lemonade, soda water and bitters is very much a South African invention.
You can definitely use zero sugar lemonade. Angostura bitters does note sugar on their ingredients label, but it does not say how much. I believe it will be negligible. For a really in-depth analysis, you can read this article by Boston Apothecary on deconstructing Angostura bitters.
There are some bitters out there that contains zero alcohol, like 'All the bitter' bitters.
There are some strange variations out there, for example, using ginger ale or Fanta. In my humble opinion, it might still taste nice but you can no longer call it a Rock shandy. It will have a completely different flavour profile.
More summertime recipes
Recipe
Rock shandy
Ingredients
- Ice - Enough to fill the glass ½ - ¼ of the way
- 125 millilitre Lemonade
- 125 millilitre soda water
- 5-10 dashes Angostura bitters - or other bitter of your choice
- 1 slice lemon - or a lemon peel twisty for decoration
Instructions
- Add your preferred amount of ice to the glass
- Add the equal measures of lemonade and soda water. Give it a quick stir
- Add the bitters
- Decorate the glass with a lemon slice or lemon peel twisty
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
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