Rolling Thunder recipe
White rum and apple schnapps with splashes of lime juice, grenadine and soda water, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass.
By Kris Barton · Updated - 2 mins total
- 5 ingredients
- Cocktail glass
What Ingredients do you need to make a Rolling Thunder?
White Rum
All Rum is made from fermenting and then distilling sugar cane molasses or sugar cane juice, but White Rum has an ageing process that makes the liquor clear.
Rum is usually aged, and the container it’s aged in has a big say in its colour.
In bourbon or other wooden casks, the rum turns a dark brown colour, but in stainless steel tanks it stays colourless. Rum that’s been aged in wood can also be filtered to take the colour out.
White Rum is clear because it’s aged in stainless steel, or filtered after ageing.
Pretty cool, huh?
Grenadine
Grenadine is a non-alcoholic bar syrup that’s traditionally used to give a cocktail a red or pink tint and is made from pomegranate.
Cocktails with Grenadine
Soda Water
Soda Water is essentially water that contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas.
This can either be infused with the water artificially or occur naturally.
Soda Water is thought to have been around since 1740, but became popular in 1783 when the Soda industry really took off and Soda Water was bottled and sold.
For Soda Water, we recommend:
What Equipment do you need to make a Rolling Thunder?
Cocktail Shaker
Cocktail shakers improve the taste of cocktails. It’s a fact.
There’s a reason that famed British spy James Bond says “shaken, not stirred”. And that reason is: because it tastes better.
If you don’t already have a cocktail shaker set, you might want to check out our detailed cocktail shaker comparison.
But to cut a long story short, here’s the cocktail shaker we recommend:
Cocktail Glass
This cocktail recipe tastes great, but let’s make it look great too.
Having the right glass for the right cocktail always makes the experience more enjoyable in my experience.
And the right glass is a cocktail glass.
We recommend:
Hawthorne Strainer
If you (or perhaps the person you’re buying for) don’t have a Hawthorne strainer as part of a cocktail shaker set, it’s a great, and incredibly useful, addition to your cocktail toolbox.
The strainer is typically used to remove the ice (or any other unwanted solid ingredients) from your cocktail as it’s poured from the cocktail shaker into your glass.
For a Hawthorne Strainer, we recommend:
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Recipe card
Rolling Thunder
- Prep
- 1 min
- Making
- 1 min
- Total
- 2 mins
- Serves
- 1
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink.
Method
- Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a cocktail glass using a Hawthorne strainer.
Want more like this? Browse our full collection of modern cocktails.
Rolling Thunder FAQs
What Ingredients do you need to make a Rolling Thunder?
To make a Rolling Thunder, you need 30ml / 1oz white rum, 30ml / 1oz apple schnapps, a splash of lime juice, a splash of grenadine and a splash of soda water. There’s more about white rum, grenadine and soda water above.
What Equipment do you need to make a Rolling Thunder?
You’ll need a cocktail shaker, a cocktail glass and a Hawthorne strainer.
What alcohol is in a Rolling Thunder?
A Rolling Thunder contains 30ml / 1oz white rum and 30ml / 1oz apple schnapps.
Is a Rolling Thunder shaken or stirred?
A Rolling Thunder is shaken. Shake it with ice in a cocktail shaker, then strain it into a cocktail glass.
Can I make a Rolling Thunder without a cocktail shaker?
A cocktail shaker is best, but a clean jam jar with a tight lid works too. Add ice and the ingredients, screw the lid on and shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, then strain it into your glass through a small sieve.
What glass is a Rolling Thunder served in?
Serve a Rolling Thunder in a cocktail glass.
