Sidecar, this page
Sidecar, this page
chapter 3
BRANDY
One Spirit, Multiple Personalities
This month, our star in the shaker is brandy and we’ll be exploring her many personalities, from flirty applejack to serious cognac. We’ll kick off the brandy experience with classics, like the savvy Sidecar and the fruity Singapore Sling, but we’ll also shake things up with some newfangled takes sure to make your favorites list, like the Mason Jar Basil Pisco Sour and Brandy Alexander Ice Cream. Buckle up—it’s time to get into all things brandy.
The Basics of Brandy
Brandy is the spirit that comes from distilling wine or any other fermented fruit juice. Between brandy and cognac, the distilled wine category can get a little confusing. Just like Champagne is a type of sparkling wine from Champagne, France, Cognac is a brandy from Cognac, France. From decadent Cognacs such as Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Louis Royer, or Courvoisier to delicious American brandies such as E&J, Christian Brothers, and Paul Masson, you’ve probably experienced this familiar sip at one point or another. In fact, even if you think you’re not a brandy drinker, I can bet you’ve had it without knowing, especially if you’ve ever sipped sangria.
Brandy can get a little more complicated than other spirits, with its many labels and categories, so I’ve listed all of the subcategories below, each pouring up something unique and fun to sip. For this month’s cocktail club, our recipes can be made with any of the American brands listed below, and you may also substitute cognac if you are, as my friend and colleague Mark Spivak says, “feeling flush, want to enhance your image, or are making a rap video.”
Brandy 101
Eau de Vie French for “water of life,” eau de vie is a distilled spirit made from most any fermented fruit except grapes (though there is a category called eau de vie de vin, which is made from grapes outside of the Cognac and Armagnac regions). Eau de vie is clear and colorless, is not aged in wood, and is usually served after dinner as a digestif. Its flavors are easily conveyed on its label. Completely apart from sipping, these typically fruity spirits all work exceptionally well when making desserts, especially anything involving chocolate! Popular eau de vie flavors include: kirsch or kirschwasser (cherry), framboise (raspberry), mirabelle (plum), Poire Williams (pear), and pomme (apple).
Cognac and Armagnac The best grape brandies in the world come from these two spots in southwest France, and these sips ring in from $20 a bottle to obscene prices at auction for aged and rare bottlings. Of the two, Cognac is definitely the more popular internationally, with Armagnac still struggling to gain its spot at the bar outside of France. You may notice these distinctions on their labels:
• Three Star or V.S. stands for Very Special and means it has been aged in oak barrels, typically from Limousin and Troncais, for at least two years.
• V.S.O.P. stands for Very Superior Old Pale; this gets a minimum of four years aging in oak.
• X.O. stands for Extra Old, and means it has been aging for at least six years, though this minimum is soon to be raised to ten years.
In the glass, Armagnac tends to be a little rough around the edges. It has a stronger flavor than Cognac and typically you wouldn’t use it when a cocktail calls for brandy. It can be funky smelling, similar to that whiff of barnyard you can sometimes get from Burgundy wine, and it delivers a slight punch in the back of the throat—definitely an acquired taste. Both bring vanilla and caramel notes to the glass from their oak aging, but Cognac seems to do it more subtly than its aggressive cousin Armagnac.
Calvados Another French brandy, though this one is made from distilling fermented apple cider aged in Limousin oak barrels. Calvados is typically a light caramel color with apple flavors that range from crisp and tart to more ripe and juicy. You might also taste aromas of cinnamon and even butterscotch. This brandy is more rustic than Cognac or Armagnac, and works great in the kitchen in sauces and glazes.
SPEAKEASY
The name brandy comes from the Dutch brandewijn, which means “burnt wine,” from the heating of the wine in the distillation process.
Applejack This American brandy dates back to the Pilgrims, and in Colonial circles it was considered the in-crowd’s drink of choice. Laird & Company, the most famous distillery located in New Jersey, cranks out delicious apple brandy with twenty pounds of apples jammed into each bottle. Applejack works well in all sorts of yummy cocktails, with the same appley good flavors and aromas as its French counterpart, Calvados.
Brandy de Jerez (Sherry) Like Cognac and Armagnac, this brandy can only be produced in the region it’s named for—Jerez, Spain. Spanish brandies are big-boy drinks, considered more earthy than Cognac and range from lighter, nutty pours to complex sips with molasses, raisin, and burnt caramel notes. These are best saved for sipping on their own after a meal. Solera is aged an average of one year and is lighter and fruity, Solera Reserva is aged an average of three years in sherry casks, and Solera Gran Reserva is aged ten years or longer.
Pisco Whether Peruvian or Chilean, pisco ranges from clear with a slight yellow tinge to amber. Peruvian pisco is made in a pot still, and bottled in small batches. Due to the nature of this bottling, Peruvian pisco batches are more inconsistent than those pouring from Chile. Chilean pisco is produced with more modern techniques and in larger batches, so it tends to be lighter and brighter, making it easier to work into a variety of cocktails.
Grappa and Marc Sometimes called “poor man’s brandies,” marc, coming from France, and grappa, from Italy, both have their fans. Each are made from the leftovers of grapes (stems, skins, and such) that have been pressed for making wine. For our purposes, we won’t be using any of these brandies in our cocktails, since we’re looking to layer flavor and not simply to burn out our taste buds.
PARTY FAVOR
The Brandy Crusta is a classic brandy cocktail that includes maraschino liqueur, fresh lemon juice, Cointreau, bitters, and lemon peel. It is considered the first “fancy” cocktail. Around 1850, it was invented by Joseph Santini of one of the most posh bars of the time: The Jewel of the South, in New Orleans. The Brandy Crusta was the first to feature the “crust” on a goblet glass made by wetting the rim with a wedge of lemon and dipping it into sugar. Today, we can thank the Brandy Crusta for inspiring all sorts of fancy colors and flavors of sugar rimmers on the market.
Get Your Drink On! 
Brandy cocktails run the gamut from lively and refreshing like the Pisco Sour, to rich and sweet like the Brandy Alexander. This month showcases its varied flavors, with new twists like adding basil to our Pisco Sour and showcasing the Brandy Alexander as an edible ice cream cocktail. If you’re looking to sip a Cognac-based drink, go for the classic Sidecar; if fruity is your thing, you must shake up a Singapore Sling.
Tips for This Month
It’s All in the Glass
Typically, if you’re sipping brandy alone, it will be served in a snifter, which is a giant glass bowl with a tapered top. The glass has a large surface area for your hand to fit snugly around and warm the brandy, while the tapered top traps in the aromas for you to enjoy.
Since we’re sipping cocktails this month, gather up the usual suspects of highball and old-fashioned glasses. You may also want to grab some mason jars from the grocery store—these do double duty as a shaker and as a serving vessel when making the traditional Pisco Sour (this page) or the Mason Jar Basil Pisco Sour (this page). Our Pear & Prosecco Cocktail (this page) calls for champagne flutes, so if you choose this as one of your cocktails this month, have them at the ready.
PISCO SOUR
SERVES 1
The traditional Pisco Sour includes an egg white. If you’re squeamish about this, try the Mason Jar Basil Pisco Sour (this page).
Ice cubes
¼ cup (60 ml) pisco
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup (this page) or 1 teaspoon sugar
1 small egg white
3 to 4 drops of Angostura bitters
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup or sugar, and egg white and shake. Strain them into a chilled cocktail glass and add the bitters on top to finish.
THE SINGAPORE SLING
SERVES 1
The Sling—be it gin, whiskey, rye, or other—is usually a mix of sweetened spirits and water. These sips predate the cocktail era with the most famous version, the Singapore Sling, credited to Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon of Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the early 1900s still served there today. It’s a frothy-topped, refreshing sip perfect for summer. Want to really re-create the Raffles experience? Serve up some roasted peanuts in the shell alongside your sling and, in Raffles Hotel Long Bar tradition, simply toss the shells on the floor.
Ice cubes
¼ cup (60 ml) gin
¼ cup (60 ml) pineapple juice
1½ tablespoons Cherry Heering or cherry brandy
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons Bénédictine liqueur
2 teaspoons Cointreau
2 dashes of grenadine (this page)
1 dash of Angostura bitters
Club soda
Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Pineapple wedge, for garnish
Orange wheel or twist, for garnish
In a shaker full of ice, combine the gin, pineapple juice, Cherry Heering, lime juice, Bénédictine, Cointreau, grenadine, and bitters.
Shake and strain the mixture into a tall glass (highball or Collins) filled with ice. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with the cherry, pineapple wedge, and orange wheel.
SIDECAR
SERVES 1
As with most recipes, there are many versions of this one floating around, but they all contain these three ingredients: Cognac, Cointreau, and fresh lemon juice. According to Mr. Ted Haigh, a.k.a. Dr. Cocktail, this is a “comfortably adjustable drink.” Too sweet? Lessen the Cointreau. Too strong? Decrease the brandy. Too sour? Decrease the lemon juice. Here’s the vintage version, but feel free to adjust to your taste once you’ve got this trio in place.
¼ cup (60 ml) Cognac
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedge, optional
Sugar, for the rim, optional
Flamed orange peel (recipe below; optional, but it makes it more fun!)
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together the Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice.
Use the lemon wedge to rub around the rim of an old-fashioned glass, then lightly dip the rim in sugar, if you choose. Fill your glass with ice and strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with the flamed orange peel, if desired.
New Twists
PEAR & PROSECCO COCKTAIL
SERVES 1
1 ounce Poire Williams eau de vie
3 ounces (90 ml) Prosecco, chilled
In a champagne flute, add the pear brandy and top it with the Prosecco.
MASON JAR BASIL PISCO SOUR
SERVES 1
Small mason jars are just about my favorite way to mix up drinks for a party. The jars create adorable individual shakers for premeasuring your ingredients. When your guests arrive, they can just add ice, any bubbly ingredients that may be called for, place the lid on, and shake. This way you aren’t stuck at the bar mixing a multitude of drinks. Leave a bottle of club soda on the bar for guests who prefer their cocktails on the spritzy side.
Ice cubes
¼ cup (60 ml) Chilean pisco
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup (this page)
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves (twist or bruise right before adding to the mason jar)
Club soda (optional)
In a mason jar or shaker filled with ice, add the pisco, lime juice, and simple syrup. Twist or bruise the basil leaves and drop them in. Put the lid on and shake.
Remove the lid and add a splash of soda, if you’d like, to finish. Strain into a glass and enjoy immediately.
This month we have an easy and elegant Fig Flatbread with Parmesan—a great snack to pair with anything spritzy, including this month’s Pear & Prosecco Cocktail (this page). Also on the menu is a killer dish of Seared Scallops in Apple Brandy Cream Sauce, which is lovely alongside a Sidecar (this page). We’ll end our cocktail club with something sweet: The completely decadent Brandy Alexander Ice Cream. Go forth and indulge.
BRANDY ALEXANDER ICE CREAM
SERVES 6 TO 8
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half
¾ cup (75 g) sugar
½ vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
3 ounces (90 ml) brandy
¼ cup (60 ml) crème de cacao
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the cream, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla bean to a boil.
Put the egg yolks in a large stainless-steel bowl. Add the hot cream mixture a little at a time while whisking continually, until the cream is completely incorporated. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove it from the heat and strain the custard into a clean bowl. Add the brandy and crème de cacao and stir until they are evenly combined.
Cool the custard over an ice bath (a larger bowl full of ice and water) until it is cool to the touch. Freeze the custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack it into a freezer-safe container and freeze.
This can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the freezer. Serve a small scoop in a coupe glass or a small dish.
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH APPLE BRANDY CREAM SAUCE
SERVES 8
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ cup (60 ml) Calvados
½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
8 large sea scallops, patted dry
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for searing
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh unfiltered apple juice (see Note)
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 ounces (140 g) fresh spinach leaves
Heat ½ tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and stir for 30 seconds. Add the Calvados (be careful; the brandy may ignite) and boil it for 30 seconds. Next, add the cream and boil it for 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it stand until it reaches room temperature. The sauce can be made up to 2 hours ahead.
Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in another large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the scallops. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the scallops to a plate.
Add the juice to the same hot skillet. Boil it for 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits. Add the reserved sauce and bring it to a simmer. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the spinach; toss until it is barely wilted and still bright green, about 2 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper.
Using tongs, divide the spinach between eight plates, mounding it in the center. You can make this ahead of time and just keep it covered at room temperature. Arrange 1 scallop on each spinach mound. Spoon the brandy cream sauce over the scallops.
Note: Unfiltered fresh apple juice is thicker and has a more intense flavor than regular bottled apple juice. Look for it in the produce section on ice or in a refrigerator case.
FIG FLATBREAD WITH PARMESAN
SERVES 10 TO 12
12 slices white bread, crusts cut off
¼ cup (80 ml) fig jam
2 to 3 ounce (55 to 85 g) block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Preheat the oven to broil and position a rack 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm) away from the broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast it for 2 minutes, flipping it halfway through, or until golden brown.
Spread 1 teaspoon of the jam on each piece of bread. Cut the bread in half diagonally. Using a vegetable peeler, make curls of Parmesan and place 2 or 3 on each bread triangle. Drizzle each with the oil and top with pepper.
