Nigerian Chapman Cocktail: Nigeria’s National Drink

A Nigerian party is never complete without a cool and bubbly drink. Nigerian Chapman cocktail is a carnival of fruits coming together in a soda-syrup mixture with dazzling rose-red color. Quite frankly, it is the African Sangria.

It goes without saying that we all need a glass of something to wash down our share of the feast. Think about Nigerian cuisine for instance. All that amazing rice, pie, and pudding would clog up in our throat if it weren’t for a refreshment. That’s where Nigerian Chapman Cocktail comes in as the country’s national drink.

The first thing that catches your eye would be the color that is reminiscent of sangria. Found in some of your favorite cocktails like Tequila Sunrise, Grenadine syrup gives the Chapman Cocktail the deep red color and the sweet & tart flavor.

The great thing about this syrup is, it is super-easy to obtain. You could buy it at any liquor shop, order on Amazon, and make it from scratch even! All you need is sugar and pomegranate juice. 

Another thing we fancy about the Nigerian Chapman cocktail is the making of ice cubes. Don’t you just cringe and convulse when your favorite drink goes flat because of the melting ice?

This cocktail puts a stop to that nonsense by making ice cubes out of the base liquid, which is Fanta and sprite. Once you apply it to your beverage, you will beat yourself up about why haven’t thought of it before.

The final touch is one you can skip, but it defeats the purpose of making Nigerian Chapman Cocktail. If you haven’t heard of Angostura Bitters before, this drink will surely ingrain it onto your memory.

Made of concentrated herbs and spices indigenous to Central and South America, bitter is the go-to drink for giving a slightly sour and bitter taste to any cocktail. Here, it balances the sweetness of your Grenadine syrup perfectly.

To garnish, you can use any fruit that you want, but we must warn you that it won’t be a traditional Nigerian Chapman Cocktail without cucumber. Let’s not keep your guests waiting; here is the recipe.

Ingredient Addition/ Substitution For Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

• To balance the fruity sweetness, you can add Ribena Blackcurrant Concentrate. It will give your cocktail a sharpness while enhancing the depth of the red color, not to mention it is packed with Vitamin C. It will certainly make a difference – in a good way – with its berry fragrance and intense dark-red color. You can also completely replace Grenadine syrup with it. 
• Another substitute for Grenadine syrup would be Zobo Concentrate made from dried roselle and sorrel leaves.

• Instead of Fanta, you can use sparkling lemonade. 
• Seven-Up is a great alternative to Sprite.
• This recipe calls for lemon, cucumber, and mint leaves for garnishing, but you can keep adding onto it with strawberry, orange, or banana (although it is not always a good idea to overcrowd your cocktail).
• Because of the Angostura bitters, Nigerian Chapman Cocktail contains a small amount of alcohol. You can technically make this cocktail without it, but it is one of the signature ingredients. If you want to booze it up some more, feel free to add vodka, gin, or spirit.

Tips For Making Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

• Before you start making the cocktail, make sure that you kept your syrup, Fanta, and Sprite in the fridge and that they cooled down.
• To add a tad more fruit flavor, you can squeeze lemon or orange juice into your cocktail before pouring your Fanta and Sprite.
• You can always adjust the amount of your Grenadine Syrup or Angostura Bitters according to your taste. Just remember to leave space for the fruits.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

Conclusion

A West African celebration can never be complete without refreshment, and Nigerian Chapman Cocktail offers the authentic tastes of Nigeria in a nutshell.

Anybody can make it in a matter of minutes; it’s not one of those cocktails that require a bartender certificate.

Think of it as your trophy for all those hours spent in the kitchen, cooking, and baking tons of Nigerian goods. Let us know how you customized your Chapman Cocktail down below.