South African cocktail · built
Brandy & Coke recipe
The national drink — 'Klippies & Coke'. South African brandy over ice, topped with cola.
A Brandy & Coke is 50 ml (47 g) Brandy and 150 ml (156 g) Cola, built and served in a highball glass. It pours to about 200 ml before ice, at roughly 10% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasshighball glass
- Methodbuilt
- Pour volume200 ml
- Strength (est.)10% ABV
- Time2 min
Brandy & Coke ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandy | 50 ml | 47 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Cola | 150 ml | 156 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Brandy & Coke
- Set your highball glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Fill the highball glass with fresh ice.
- Build Brandy straight into the glass, weighing each pour.
- Top with Cola and stir once, gently, from the bottom up.
Brandy & Coke: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Brandy & Coke?
Roughly 10% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Sessionable. Comparable to a glass of wine by volume.
What glass should a Brandy & Coke be served in?
A highball glass. Fill it with fresh ice, not the ice you mixed with.
Can I make a Brandy & Coke without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Brandy & Coke
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Cape brandy shaken with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur, lemon and a touch of sugar.
French Connection
Cognac and amaretto over ice. Two ingredients, deep and warm.
Horse's Neck
Cognac and ginger ale with bitters and a long lemon peel.
Steelworks
The classic South African non-alcoholic bar drink — kola tonic, bitters, ginger beer and soda.
Rock Shandy
Half lemonade, half soda, a good splash of bitters. The SA sundowner that keeps you sharp.
Cane & Cream Soda
Cane spirit and green cream soda — the legendary SA student combo.