Thunder Quake

A two-spirit brandy long-drink of cherry brandy and brandy floated over white cider. Equal parts brandy stack with the cider as the lift. Drinks dark-fruit and orchard-bright, named for the rumble it leaves in the chest after a cold night outside.

Thunder Quake

4.67 from 24 votes

Calories: 146kcal

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Ingredients

▢ 1 Part(s) Cherry Brandy
▢ 1 Part(s) Brandy
▢ fill with White cider

Instructions

▢
Swill the Congac around the glass then add the cider and float the brandy over the top.

Estimated Nutrition:

Calories: 146kcal (7%)Carbohydrates: 9g (3%)Sugar: 9g (10%)

Where it came from

The Thunder Quake is a British pub-style fortifier that came out of cold-weather drinking culture, where a brandy float over a long cider mixer was the standard warm-up. The build pairs cherry brandy with regular brandy in equal parts, served over white cider in a tall glass. The cherry-brandy lead gives the drink its dark-fruit colour and its name.

It sits in the long-cider family with the Snakebite, the Black Velvet and the Cider and Black. All four lean on cider as the volume and a fortifier as the kick. The Thunder Quake separates itself with the brandy float, which keeps the spirit on top so the first sip pulls cherry-and-brandy before the cider underneath.

Best ordered at a country pub, after a long walk, or any cold-night setting where a long warming drink makes sense. The drink is approachable, dark-fruit-and-orchard, and easy to scale into a single tall glass for one drinker.

What it tastes like

Sweet cherry brandy up front, soft warm brandy through the middle, sharp dry cider on the finish. The float technique keeps the brandy notes in the first two sips before the cider takes over for the rest of the glass. Reads as a long warming drink with a fortified spirit lift, not a stiff cocktail.

Around 10 percent ABV in the glass once mixed. One part cherry brandy at 24 percent ABV plus one part regular brandy at 40 percent ABV plus the cider at 5 percent ABV gives a moderate-strength long pour. Each tall glass holds about ten ounces of the mixed drink.

The technique

Pour the white cider into a tall glass first, leaving room at the top for the float. Add the cherry brandy gently over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on the cider. Add the regular brandy the same way, layered above the cherry brandy. Three layers, no stir. Drink as is so each sip starts with the brandy float and finishes with the cider.

The float is the technique. Pouring all three ingredients straight into the glass mixes the brandies into the cider and kills the layered effect. Hold the bar spoon flat against the inside of the glass and pour each spirit slowly down the back of the spoon for a clean float. Use chilled cider straight from the fridge for the cleanest version.

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Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

The cherry brandy

Use: Heering, De Kuyper or any cherry-flavoured brandy at 24 to 30 percent ABV.
Skip: Cherry liqueur with no brandy base. Loses the warming spirit lift.
Why: Cherry brandy is the lead flavour and the colour. The brandy base gives the drink its warmth; without it the cocktail reads as a cherry cordial in cider rather than a long fortified pour.

The white cider

Use: Strongbow Original, Magners Original or any dry white cider at 4 to 5 percent ABV.
Skip: Sweet fruit cider or cloudy artisan cider. Wrong sweetness and texture.
Why: White cider is the volume and the orchard-bright finish. The dry apple character cuts the brandy sweetness and keeps the drink from collapsing into syrup; sweet cider over-sweetens the pour.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

The standard build

Thunder Quake, three layers: Cider in a tall glass, cherry brandy floated over the back of a bar spoon, regular brandy floated on top. No stir, drink as is.

The mixed build

Thunder Quake, stirred: Combine all three in a tall glass over ice, stir gently, finish with a slice of apple. Loses the layered effect, gains a faster build.

The hot build

Hot Thunder Quake: Warm the cider in a saucepan, pour into a heatproof glass, add both brandies and stir once. Same flavour profile, served warm for cold-night drinking.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No cherry brandy?

Cherry Heering plus a dash of regular brandy. Different concentration, holds the cherry note.

No regular brandy?

Cognac, Armagnac or any aged grape brandy. Different age character, holds the spirit-warmth role.

No white cider?

Pear cider or a dry apple-and-pear blend. Different fruit angle, holds the dry orchard finish.

No tall glass?

A pint mug works for the warm version. The long-pour format is the constraint, not the glassware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Thunder Quake?

Equal parts cherry brandy and regular brandy floated over white cider in a tall glass. Three ingredients, three layers, no stir.

Why is it called a Thunder Quake?

The name suggests the rumble of a warming spirit in the chest after the first sip, riffing on cold-weather drinking culture in British pubs. The dark cherry colour and the brandy heat together earn the name.

How strong is a Thunder Quake?

Around 10 percent ABV in the glass once mixed. Roughly equal to one and a half standard drinks per ten-ounce serving.

What does it taste like?

Sweet cherry brandy up front, soft warm brandy through the middle, sharp dry cider on the finish. The layered float keeps each note distinct for the first two sips before the cider takes over.

Can I use sweet cider?

Not the standard build. Sweet cider over-sweetens the drink and kills the dry-finish balance. White cider or pear cider hold the structure.

Should I add ice?

No for the standard layered build, since ice mixes the layers. Yes for the stirred variation, where the layered effect is sacrificed for a colder pour.

Can I batch a Thunder Quake?

The layered version does not batch. The stirred or hot variations both scale into a punch bowl at equal-parts ratios; serve with apple slices.

What other long-cider drinks are similar?

A Snakebite, a Black Velvet, a Cider and Black and a Strongbow Top. All four lean on cider as the volume with a different fortifier or accent on top.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read