Founded in Victorian London all the way back in 1886, Franklin & Sons are true pioneers in the soft drinks space, leading the way with natural ingredients and innovative flavourings to offer the most complete range of mixers, sodas, and tonics out there.
Within their remarkably diverse range, there will always be the perfect bottle to jazz up your drinks which is why we made the most of their offering throughout The Three Drinkers in Cognac, and if you’re a listener of our Bring a Bottle podcast, you may well have heard us merrily sipping our way through even more of them on there.
Beautifully bottled too, it really is well worth exploring all of their wonderful flavours for yourself to see which jump out, but below are just some of the Franklin & Sons that we have loved trying, and recommendations for what to enjoy them with!
FRANKLIN & SONS TO EXPLORE
Original Ginger Ale
Ultimate warmth and refreshment with a completely natural feel, Franklin & Son’s Original Ginger Ale blends natural root ginger extract with their pure sparkling spring water for classy and subtle flavouring. Celebrating the classic ginger and cognac combination, you can see it used as a Highball in Episode One where the spice of the two blend perfectly.
Ingredients:
30ml Cognac (we used Courvoisier VSOP)
80ml Ginger Ale
Plenty of ice
Method:
Pour in your cognac over plenty of ice and top up with the fizzing ginger ale. Voila!
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Sicilian Lemon
The first Franklin & Sons bottle to appear in the series, the Sicilian Lemon is used for the gorgeously simple and sunny Courvoisier Gala Highball below. Legendary Sicilian lemons and natural botanicals like cinchona bark blend with sparkling spring water to make this burst of citrus.
Ingredients:
30ml Cognac (we used Courvoisier VSOP)
80ml Sicilian Lemonade
Plenty of ice
Method:
Highballs are simple so let’s keep it that way – pour everything over ice and give it a little stir.
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Mandarin & Ginger Soda
The Mandarin & Ginger featured in one of our One Drink, Three Ways segments where you can find three deliciously different serves it’s perfect for. With natural zest, warmth, vibrance and refreshment, this soda elevates all kinds of different drinks which is why it crops up again in Episode Two of the series emphasising the fruity spice of cognac.
Ingredients:
30ml Cognac
80ml Mandarin & Ginger Soda
Plenty of ice
Method:
Super simple – cognac poured over ice and topped up with the soda! An orange wheel is the perfect garnish.
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Rosemary & Black Olive Tonic Water
The Rosemary and Black Olive tonic is so distinct. Almost reminiscent of focaccia, this savoury mixer adds a stunning culinary dimension to cocktails. We pair it with Umami gin for an entirely unique herbaceous G&T that is just asking to be paired with some side dishes.
Ingredients:
30ml Umami gin
80ml Rosemary & Black Olive Tonic Water
Plenty of ice
Method:
Simply pour each over ice, stir well and sip away.
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Guava & Lime Soda
A very light and lofty soda with natural guava and Tahitian lime as well as a sprinkling of ginger, this completely livens up what can be a dull vodka and soda combination. Refreshing, fruity and tropical!
Ingredients:
30ml guava vodka
80ml Guava & Lime Soda
Plenty of ice
Method:
Pour each over ice and stir well to combine thoroughly!
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Natural Rose Lemonade
Episode Four of The Three Drinkers in Cognac shows our Helena using Natural Rose Lemonade to bring colour, natural sweetness and an inviting aroma to the wonderful cocktail below. The English rose petals, lemon juice and crisp sparkling water are a floral twist on the original 1886 lemonade and add so much summery elegance to almost any concoction – delicious.
Ingredients:
50ml gin (we used Audemus Pink Pepper Gin)
Splash of Champagne
Top up with Franklin & Sons Rose Lemonade
Method:
Stir gin and ice and add to your cocktail glass. Top up with a splash of Champagne and Rose Lemonade. For the garnish, cut thin strips of lemon skin and wrap them around a chopstick for an appetising spiral effect.
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Pink Grapefruit Soda
You can see Aidy takes this essential Pink Grapefruit soda for a spin in Episode Four of The Three Drinkers in Cognac, when partnered with Reposado Tequila, fresh lime and Grand Marnier in a Paloma/Margarita hybrid. The soda is amazing for adding fizz alongside bright and balanced citrus notes with a dash of bitterness.
Ingredients:
50ml reposado tequila
50ml Grand Marnier
25ml fresh lime juice
Pink Grapefruit Soda
Method:
Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, and fresh lime juice into a rocks glass over ice and stir. Top up with Pink grapefruit soda and stir very gently to combine.
Find here: £20 24 x 200ml
Pineapple & Almond Soda
This is another favourite of ours that you really need to try. To be honest, you could enjoy it flying solo as a soft drink, but it’s so versatile that it can be mixed with the nutty caramel notes of cognac, the profile of a tropical rum, or even earthy tequila/mezcal. Stewed caramelised pineapples shine through at first, but when mixed the marzipan almond notes flood the palate – this is what drinks innovation should look like.
Find here: £20 24 x 200m
If you want to see these delicious Franklin & Sons drinks in action, check out The Three Drinkers in Cognac! Or, if you’re curious as to their other flavours, have a flick through their range here!