And now, for the fancy version of yesterday’s Brandy Cocktail. I actually prefer this one, just because it’s crisper and cleaner in flavor.

108. Brandy Cocktail

(Use small bar glass.)

• This drink is made the same as the brandy cocktail [copied below], except that it is strained in a fancy wine-glass, and a piece of lemon peel thrown on top, and the edge of the glass moistened with lemon.
• 3 or 4 dashes of gum syrup.
• 2 dashes of bitters (Bogart’s).
• 2 oz. of brandy.
• 1 or 2 dashes of Curaçoa.
• Squeeze lemon peel… [other instructions that no longer make sense.]

Tasting Notes:

BN: This is officially my favorite. Just the right amount of sweetness, citrus (both from the lemon and the curaçao), and warmth from the brandy. While he definitely uses it too much, I do get why Jerry Thomas liked brandy so much.

PiC: Very nice! Again, I don’t really like cocktails whose main ingredient is a spirit, but this was tasty.