How to make a Chapman drink

For as long as I can remember there has been this fascination with the large red cocktail more commonly pronounced by the average Nigerian as ‘Shapman’. It has become synonymous with the popular orders made at our local Chinese restaurants, Recreational Clubs and more recently, weddings (though our wedding planners are notorious for being extremely selective with Chapman distribution – I‘ve never been offered any to date). Its origin is arguably in Nigeria but no one knows for sure. It isn’t necessarily expensive to buy (between N300 and N1000, i.e. $6 max.) nor is it difficult to make. But I think I know why there’s such a fuss over this bitter-sweet refreshment – it just tastes so damn good!

Today I’m running a small Chapman factory in my apartment (okay, not really but I do make them rather frequently) and I want to share the recipe for you to enjoy. Learn how to make Chapman is 6 easy steps!:

CHAPMAN RECIPE FOR 1 PERSON

  1. Get a large tumbler/glass mug (necessary if you want to make your Chapman-experience last a bit)
  2. Fill the glass halfway with ice cubes
  3. Pour a capful of Grenadine or any blackcurrant cordial into the glass (for that red glow)
  4. Pour in 2shots of Bitters – Any bitters you can find but you can also use Campari (In Lagos, Angostura Bitters is available at Goodies for N3,200).
  5. Pour in equal amounts of…believe it or not…Fanta and Sprite then mix it up
  6. Throw in a slice of lemon, garnish with a cucumber slice and dip-in a bendy straw
  7. Sip slowly and try not to hum too much as your taste-buds go into a frenzy.
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Well there you have it. Simple, isn’t it? So the next time you’re sitting by your computer and one of your (anti-social) friends sends you a mouth-watering cocktail…via Facebook, make a Chapman to quench that insatiable thirst your ‘friend‘ created (remember to do point 7 ^^)…and then proceed to delete that friend from your Friend list (optional).

CHAPMAN RECIPE FOR 100 people

You’d need the following (if you are serving in small plastic cups):

– 1.5 litres of Ribena/Blacurrant cordial/Grenadine (about 1 big table spoon poured at the base of each cup)
– 50 cans of Sprite (half of each can poured into a cup)
– 50 cans of Fanta (half of each can poured into a cup)
– 10 medium lemons (each sliced in 10, making 100 slices)
– 10 medium cucumbers (each sliced into 20 and served two pieces per cup)
– 4 bottles of Alomo bitters or 3 bottles of Angosturra bitters (a capful poured into each cup)
– Probably 500 ice cubes equivalent (cheaper if you have ice trays at home. 5 cubes per cup)
– 100 bendy straws.
– Mixers (long plastic stirrers) are optional as you can use the straws to mix the drinks

N.B – If you use large mugs instead of plastic cups then use 100 cans of Sprite and 100 cans of Fanta (1 can of Sprite and Fanta per mug). Everything else remains the same.

Crazy Cocktail Recipies

Following the unprecedented success of the How to make a Chapman drink article (with over 1,300 views averaging at 3 views per day) I decided to share some personal cocktail recipes I concocted during my crazy moments which come once in a blue moon (Is there even such a thing as a ‘blue moon’? and THEY say I’m crazy…). Here are two accidental cocktail marvels I’ve decided to share with you (excuse the title-complexity of these otherwise simple creations):

Green Tsunami:

Ingredients – 1/2 a medium-sized Cucumber, 33cl Coca-Cola, and ice cubes

    1. Cut three thick slices of cucumber into six halves and throw into a tall glass
    2. Fill the glass halfway with ice-cubes
    3. Pour in a can of ice-cold coca-cola.
    4. Stir with a cocktail stick and enjoy with a straw (You won’t believe the unique taste!)

O-Bee-Hive:

 Ingredients – 2 tablespoons of Natural Honey, 33cl Coca-Cola, and ice cubes

  1. Pour just enough coca-cola into a glass to cover the base of the glass.
  2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of honey and gradually pour in the rest of the coca-cola
  3. Add some ice-cubes and enjoy with a straw (simply delicious!)

You may have noticed that the recipes above are non-alcoholic. However for the members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) I strongly recommend adding a dash of Jack Daniels Whiskey before your confession at the next AA meeting.

Coco Chanana:

Ingredients – 1 Banana, 1 piece (half a regular sugar cube-size) of raw ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate powder, 1/2 pint of semi-skimmed milk, 3 scoops/full tablespoons of fresh unsweetened yoghurt, 2 capfuls of pineapple juice and semi-frozen ice cubes.

1. Dice the ginger and throw in a blender along with one chopped banana.

2. Pour in the semi-skimmed milk, yoghurt and then blend together for a few seconds.

3. Pour in the icecubes, the pineapple juice and blend briefly till smooth. Serve in a glass, sprinkle chocolate powder (or Nestle’s Milo). N.B – For alcohol content, pour in a capful of Malibu.

Enjoy 😀

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