Planet Of The Grapes

Brandy, she’s a fine girl . . .

Several countries produce this fine grape spirit, including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, The United States, Portugal, and the South American countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. Fruit brandies include cherry, apricot, blackberry, apple, peach, and pear. Let’s take a gander through a selection of cocktails made with this fruitful libation.

Getting dressed up with somewhere to go, don’t forget to spray on some Cocoa Chanel before you leave the house. In a martini glass, shake & strain the following: 1 ½ oz Remy Martin Cognac, ½ oz Godiva white chocolate liqueur, ½ oz amaretto DiSaronno, and 1 ½ oz coconut milk. Garnish with a cherry.

If travelling to East India is your destination, then grab a short highball glass and fill it with cubed ice. In a shaker, pour in 1 ½ oz Presidente brandy, a dash of Angostura bitters, and 1 ½ oz pineapple juice. Do the shake & strain in over the ice. Garn with mint leaf.

Humble and reserved for the most complex palate, Max The Silent goes in a chilled cocktail glass after, of course, a well deserved stir & strain. The ingredients are: ½ oz Christian Brothers brandy, ½ oz Laird’s Applejack, 1oz Bacardi Anejo rum, and 1 teaspoon Bols anisette. No garnish.

The late evening may be the right time to shake up this 40’s classic. Similar to the Monkey Gland and the Sidecar, Nicky Finn has a place in cocktail history all its own. With 1oz Korbel brandy, 1oz Cointreau, 1oz lemon juice, and a dash of Pernod, shake & strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with either a lemon twist or a cherry.

Created during the Gothic Age of American Drinking (1775 – 1865), some say in Peru, others say in Chile. Either way, the Pisco Sour gets a well deserved mention here. In a chilled champagne flute, shake & strain the following with cracked ice: 2 oz Pisco Control, 1oz lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 1 dash Fee Brothers old fashioned bitters, and 1 dollop of egg white. Garnish with a mint sprig or a lemon twist.

Next. Dim the lights. Then grab a chilled martini glass from the frig. Shake 1oz Campari and 1oz lemon juice with cracked ice and strain into the glass. Heat 2 oz Cardenal Mendoza brandy in a chafing dish. Warm it up a bit and then ignite the brandy. Pour a
flaming stream into the glass. Be a little careful as the flame is mellow, and add a lemon twist. Wait till it’s out before tasting. Welcome the Combustible Edison.

A very popular drink in the party crowd today is the
Incredible Hulk, aka H & H. In a medium rocks glass over cubed or cracked ice, simply pour in 1 ½ oz Hennessey Cognac and 1 ½ oz Hpnotiq liqueur. Stir and sip until round two comes a knockin’.

Nothing like a good liplocker to get the moment started, as Sonny Gets Kissed. In a cocktail glass, do the shake & strain with cubed ice, by first adding 1 ½ oz Ron Antigua white rum, ½ oz Hiram Walker apricot brandy, ¼ oz lime juice, ¼ oz lemon juice, and a pinch of fine sugar. Slide a half of a lime wheel on the rim.

For those of you who are howlin’ at the moon, the Wolfsbane is set to prepare in a highball glass. First, splash the inside of the glass with lemon juice. Then sprinkle the interior with sugar, and put the glass in the freezer until it creates the frosted effect. Take the glass out and fill with cracked ice. Shake over ice & strain in 2 oz Wolfschmidt vodka, 1 ½ oz Leroux cherry brandy, ½ oz cream, and 1 egg white. Garnish a cherry.

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