IRELAND HAS A fine tradition in the creation of beloved soft drinks.
From McDaid’s Football Special to Cavan Cola, and TK Red Lemonade to Cidona – the list of homegrown minerals is truly admirable.
But perhaps the best soft drink invention this island has ever produced is the humble Rock Shandy
The fine blend of orange and lemon is art – whether it’s Club or Finches (although the less said about the Fanta version, the better).
And the origins of Rock Shandy are so very Irish – as the old C&C website explains, the drink was invented in Blackrock, Dublin:
A former Managing Director of C&C, Mr. Frank Murphy, was a member of the Blackrock Swimming Club that used to go swimming in the open sea baths in Blackrock. After training on a Sunday morning they would go to O’Rourkes pub in Blackrock for a drink. Their favourite drink was a combination (shandy) of Club Orange and Club Lemon from whence came the name, Rock Shandy.
Yes, so we can thank the swimmers of South Dublin and the staff in O’Rourkes pub for making up this new fangled drink for them every Sunday
And it was from there that they rolled out the actual Rock Shandy we sup gleefully today
A recent Reddit Ireland thread highlighted the love that’s still out there for this creation – especially from those abroad:
Easily the food/drink I miss most not living in Ireland. Maybe because it’s harder to find here than Tayto, Barry’s or just regular Club Orange.
It’s just too niche for those specialist stores
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But there’s a solid crew of people at home who appreciate what they have
A pint in the pub might just be Rock Shandy in its purest form
Perhaps the way it was intended to be served in O’Rourke’s all those years ago
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A delicious combination
