Chanbanger
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 17.2% ABV ∙
The Chanbanger is a shaken rum sour built on Caribbean aged rum, cherry liqueur, lemon and pink grapefruit juice, finished with a touch of sugar syrup. Dark rum warmth meets tart grapefruit and a cherry-sweet undertow, with lemon keeping the finish crisp — a fruity, well-balanced sipper for a warm evening.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Caribbean aged rum 45 mlCherry liqueur 20 mlLemon juice 10 mlPink grapefruit juice 25 mlSugar syrup 10 mlGrapefruit bitters 3 dashes
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake hard with full-size cubes for a full 12-15 seconds since the mix of rum, cherry liqueur and two juices needs vigorous aeration and dilution to balance the sugar syrup.
- Add the grapefruit bitters as dashes directly over the shaken drink after straining, not into the shaker, so their aromatics stay prominent on the nose.
History
The Chanbanger was created in 2014 by Barney Chan, a bartender at The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, a bar hidden beneath the Breakfast Club in Spitalfields, London.
FAQ
What is in a Chanbanger?
Caribbean aged rum, cherry liqueur, fresh lemon juice, fresh pink grapefruit juice, and sugar syrup, shaken together and typically finished with a few dashes of grapefruit bitters. It is served up in a coupe glass with a lemon twist.
Is a Chanbanger shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The citrus juices and syrup need the vigorous aeration and quick chill of a shake to marry with the rum and cherry liqueur; stirring would leave it flat and under-diluted.
What glass is a Chanbanger served in?
A coupe glass, served up with a lemon twist. Because it is fine-strained after shaking, no ice reaches the finished drink.
Is a Chanbanger vegan?
Yes, the Chanbanger is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it is built entirely from rum, cherry liqueur, citrus juice, and sugar syrup with no animal-derived ingredients.
How strong is a Chanbanger?
It comes in at about 17.2% ABV, making it lighter than a straight spirit-forward cocktail thanks to the juice and syrup in the build. At roughly 200 calories per serving, it sits in the moderate range for a shaken sour-style drink.
