MIXOLOGY
B R A N DY
Brandy’s Renaissance
At The Bar
Mixologists are moving brandy from the snifter to the cocktail glass
BY SALLY KRAL
B
randy often evokes images of an
older, cigar-smoking gentleman
sipping from a glass after an expen-
sive meal. But brandy has a long, rich
history of being enjoyed in classic cock-
tails. Unearthing and recreating those
traditional drinks has been a driving force
behind the current mixology culture, and
that has both restored brandy’s place in
the cocktail scene and garnered it a
younger fan base.
“Classic brandy cocktails like the Side-
car, Horse’s Neck, Corpse Reviver and
Stinger are coming into the limelight,
especially in craft cocktail bars,” says Tim
Laird, chief entertaining officer of
Brown-Forman Corp., which markets the
Korbel brandy label. “There’s a new
generation of drinkers who are discover-
ing the category, which has helped brandy
become cool.”
From Armagnac and Cognac to Pisco
and eau de vie, there’s a lot to explore
within brandy. “The library of flavors and
aromas in brandy is simply astounding
when compared to other spirits,” says
Naomi Schimek, brand ambassador for
Cognac Park. “Each has its own person-
ality, style and character. I think the
reason for brandy’s popularity with consumers now is the
same as it was 150 years ago: the sheer scope of its adapt-
ability and blendability.”
Cyllan Hicks, head bartender at Midnights in Brooklyn,
New York, is happy to see brandy being embraced as a cock-
tail base once again. “Now that brandy isn’t only being
consumed neat from a snifter, more bartenders such as myself
are willing to be adventurous and add brandy and Cognac
cocktails to our menus,” Hicks says.
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Historical Relevance
Though brandy has just as rich a history
in pre-Prohibition American cocktail
culture as whiskey, most consumers today
know far more about Bourbon and rye
than they do Cognac. “In the 19th century
during the Golden Age of classic cock- The Up & Up's Jungle Ration (left) and
tails, brandy—Cognac specifically—was the Café Crusta (above) from E. & J.
Gallo are unique, brandy-based
mainly employed as a mixer rather than takes on classic cocktail recipes.
sipped. Approximately a third of the
recipes found in vintage books from that
time use Cognac as a base spirit,” Schimek
points out.
But over the years, brandy was sidelined
by American whiskey in classic drinks like
the Sazerac, among others. “Historically,
many well-known classic cocktails that
consumers connect with Bourbon were
originally showcased with brandy,” notes
Chris Chamberlain, national beverage
development manager for E. & J. Gallo’s
spirits business unit. “The Mint Julep is a
perfect example of this. We’re now seeing
the bar community reintroduce brandy
into these classics, which is very uplifting
to witness.”
Indeed, brandy-based classics are finally
back in the spotlight. “The Brandy Cock-
tail, Brandy Smash, Brandy Crusta, Brandy
Daisy and the brandy-based Sazerac are just a few of the
19th-century drinks that have proven to be a great entry point
PHOTO BY (INSET) PHOTOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
for bartenders and consumers to rediscover the rich potential
of brandy,” says Christy Pope, who owns the Dallas bar
Midnight Rambler with her husband Chad Solomon.
(TK) TK LEE
PHOTO BY EUGENE
Cognac Park's La Bamba cocktail features the brand's Fin Bois Single
Cru Organic, fresh pineapple, homemade hibiscus syrup, lime juice,
and bitters, and showcases the year-round value of brandy.
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Chamberlain likes to take classic
brandy recipes and add his own unique
touch. His Café Crusta features French
vanilla roast cold-dripped coffee–infused
E. & J. VSOP brandy, Cointreau
orange liqueur, agave nectar, pineap-
ple juice and El Guapo Chicory
Pecan bitters, while his Modern
Brandy Cocktail blends E. & J. VSOP,
Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, St. George
Verte absinthe, simple syrup and
Angostura bitters.
Adding new flair to traditional
recipes is a trend that’s here to stay. At
Brandy Library in New York City, the
Pods-de-Vie ($20), created by the bar’s
spirits sommelier Gisela Dezilio, is a twist
on the Brandy Sour, blending Bache
Gabrielsen American Oak Cognac,
house-made vanilla syrup, lemon juice
and egg white. At The Edmon in Los
Angeles, bartender Doug Heiar’s Napo-
leon Complex ($12) offers another
inventive take on the Brandy Sour,
featuring brown butter–infused Cognac Park VS, house-made
cranberry syrup, lemon juice, Peychaud’s bitters and egg white.
Nelson Fitch, owner of Chicago bar Income Tax, notes that
any classic whisk(e)y-based cocktail can be adjusted to work
well with brandy. “We serve an Armagnac Manhattan as a
Fine Calvados, Braulio and house-made lemon verbena syrup.
“Calvados is extremely versatile—open the Savoy Cocktail
Book and you’ll find no shortage of Calvados classics with a
variety of flavor profiles,” Fitch adds.
Though Old Fashioneds are most commonly made with
Bourbon or rye whiskey, Brown-Forman’s Laird says that the
company’s Korbel brandy is the preferred base in the Midwest
and West—the so-called “brandy belt.” The Old Fashioned
($8) at Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
features Korbel, simple syrup and Angostura bitters, and can
be served “sweet” (with a splash of Sprite lemon-lime soda),
“sour” (with Squirt citrus soda), “press” (with both Sprite and
seltzer) or with just a splash of seltzer.
Laird adds that brandy is widely featured on winter menus in
drinks like the Tom and Jerry and Brandy Alexander, but—as
Cognac Park’s Schimek points out—it’s increasingly being
perceived as an all-season spirit. “I’m seeing more long sparklers
and lighter-style brandy drinks,” Schimek says. “It seems more
people are starting to recognize the value of brandy year-round.
It’s not just for after dinner or Christmastime by the fire—it
works just as well in a floral spring
Collins or a bouncy summer punch on a The Armagnac Manhattan at Income Tax (left) is a brandy-based take on the Manhattan, while the Air Dance at Outerlands (center)
hot day.” Her La Bamba cocktail is a variation on the Sherry Cobbler. The Dead Rabbit's Beauty Parlor (right) blends brandy with a variety of other spirits and liqueurs.
comprises Cognac Park Fins Bois Single
Cru Organic, fresh pineapple, home- Reserva rum, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, house-made At Income Tax, bartender Peter Cumpler’s Alto Adige
made hibiscus syrup, lime juice, and pistachio-based orgeat syrup, simple syrup and lemon juice. ($13) mixes Destillerie Purkhart Poire Williams eau de vie,
Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. At San Francisco bar Outerlands, mixologist Kevin Dowell’s Dolin Génépy des Alpes herbal liqueur and house-made lime
“Think of all the flavors found within Air Dance cocktail ($12) is a Sherry Cobbler variation, oleo-saccharum. “Drinkers who like Gimlets or Daiquiris love
wine, and understand that wine is the mixing Cognac Park VS, Bodegas Yuste Aurora Amontillado this fruit-forward and refreshing cocktail,” Fitch says, adding
foundation of brandy,” E. & J.’s Cham- Sherry, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, J.M. Sirop de Canne that most guests haven’t heard of Poire Williams and the drink
berlain says. “Citrus flavors—such as syrup, lemon juice and Angostura bitters. is a good way to introduce them to the pear brandy.
lemon and orange—and tropical flavors
such as pineapple and mango all work
extremely well with brandy.” His Amer- Brandy-based Cocktail Recipes
icano 75 mixes E. & J. VSOP brandy with
fresh lemon juice, homemade wildflower ARMAGNAC MANHATTAN AIR DANCE BEAUTY PARLOR
honey syrup and La Marca Prosecco. The By Patrick Grasso By Kevin Dowell By Jillian Vose
drink is a play on the French 75 which, Ingredients: Ingredients: Ingredients:
though commonly thought of as a 1½ ounces Delord Napoleon ¾ ounce Cognac Park VS; Spritz Vieux Pontarlier absinthe;
gin-based cocktail, historically featured Bas Armagnac; 1½ ounces Bodegas Yuste Aurora 1 ounce Torres 15-year-old Spanish brandy;
Cognac. “Brandy offers so many possibil- ¼ ounce Braulio amaro; Amontillado Sherry; 1 ounce Rémy Martin 1738 Accord
1 ⁄ 8 ounce Bénédictine herbal liqueur; ¼ ounce Luxardo Maraschino liqueur; Royal Cognac;
Porchlight's Three Rings (top) and the Between ities that I’m surprised it’s been viewed as ½ ounce Miró red vermouth; ¾ ounce lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Giffard Crème de Cacao liqueur;
The Sheets (above) at Midnight Rambler an after-dinner beverage for so long,” 2 dashes Angostura bitters; ¼ ounce J.M. Sirop de Canne syrup 1 teaspoon Dead Rabbit Jamaican rum blend1;
both incorporate Laird's apple brandy. Chamberlain adds. Amarena cherry. 2 dashes Angostura bitters; 1 teaspoon cane simple syrup;
Lemon peel. Dash Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic bitters;
Recipe: 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters;
Fruit Forward Combine Armagnac, amaro, liqueur, Recipe: 2 lemon twists.
Today’s mixologists are indeed recognizing that brandy is an vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass Combine Cognac, Sherry, liqueur, lemon
all-season, all-purpose spirit. “Brandy can be used in nearly with ice. Stir and strain into a coupe glass. juice, syrup and bitters in an ice-filled Recipe:
every single iconic ‘family’ of cocktail styles,” Schimek says. Garnish with an amarena cherry. cocktail shaker. Shake and double strain Use an atomizer to spritz the inside and
into a coupe glass. Express the lemon peel outside rim of a well-chilled rocks glass with
“It has an incredible range that marries well with most fruits, over the drink and discard. absinthe. Combine brandy, Cognac, liqueur,
PHOTO BY (RIGHT) BRENT HERRIG

gateway cocktail into brandy—it works because it’s such a
familiar, trusted profile,” he says. The drink ($12), created by
bartender Patrick Grasso, mixes Delord Napoleon Bas Arma-
gnac, Braulio amaro, Bénédictine herbal liqueur, Miró red
vermouth and Angostura bitters. The bar also offers Grasso’s
Normandy Old Fashioned ($12), made with Claque-Pepin
syrups and modifying spirits in cocktails.” rum blend, simple syrup, bitters and lemon
Blending multiple spirits, fruit flavors and aromatic twists in a mixing glass with ice. Stir well
elements, tiki drinks serve as an excellent vehicle for brandy. until the drink is chilled and properly
diluted. Strain into the rocks glass.
The Jungle Ration ($15) at New York City bar The Up & Up
is bartender George Stern’s twist on the Mai Tai, featuring 1Equal
parts Cruzan Black Strap, Smith & Cross, and Banks 7 rums
Christian Brothers Sacred Bond American brandy, Atlantico

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“We love fruit brandies, especially
Laird & Co.’s apple brandies,” Midnight
Rambler’s Pope says. “They exhibit
dynamic fruit character and also have the
edge of an American whiskey.” Her
Asbury Park Swizzle ($12) comprises
Laird’s Jersey Lightning apple brandy,
Berentzen Apple liqueur, house-made
orange blossom–honey syrup, fresh lemon
juice, mint, mineral saline, and a mixture
of Angostura, Peychaud’s and Dale
DeGroff’s pimento bitters.
At Porchlight in New York City, head
bartender Nick Bennett is also a big fan of
Laird’s apple brandy, specifically the
100-proof expression. “It’s absolutely deli-
cious and has such a storied past that inter-
Brandy provides a fresh take on an Old
twines with the history of America, which Fashioned at Bryant's (top), and adds
makes any cocktail featuring it an entire dynamic fruit flavors to the Asbury Park Cognac cocktails that are creative, nuanced
conversation,” he says. “Flavor-wise it Swizzle (above) at Midnight Rambler.
plays well with baking spices and citrus
and can be used to highlight other spirits in so many cock-
tails.” The bar’s Three Rings Cocktail ($15), created by
bartender Bryan Teoh, blends Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon,
Laird’s 100-proof Straight Apple brandy, Cruzan Black Strap
rum, house-made dried cherry syrup, Delouis Cidre de
Normandie and house-made “Black Hand” black cardamom
bitters. At Midnights, Hicks’ Between the Sheets ($15) blends
D’Ussé VSOP Cognac, Laird’s Straight Apple brandy, Grand
Marnier orange liqueur, Flor de Caña Extra Lite 4-year-old
rum and fresh lemon juice.
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Layered Complexity
“By its very nature, brandy pairs well with fruity flavors, as well as
aromatic spirits,” Midnight Rambler’s Pope says. Indeed, blending
brandies with other spirits in cocktails is very common, as it’s bold
and aromatic enough to stand up to most other ingredients. “With
brandy being such a broad category, the types of cocktails and
flavor pairings are endless,” says Jillian Vose, bar manager at The
Dead Rabbit in New York City. “We’ve done everything from
toddies and sours to Sazaracs, Manhattans, Martinis and tiki drinks
using all types of brandies. Splitting bases with cachaça, Ameri-
can whiskies, aquavit, aged rum, Scotch and gin have all been
common in our menus.” Her Beauty Parlor cocktail ($16) blends
Torres 15-year-old Spanish brandy, Rémy Martin 1738 Accord
Royal Cognac, Giffard Crème de Cacao liqueur, Dead Rabbit
Jamaican rum blend (a mixture of Cruzan Black Strap, Smith &
Cross, and Banks 7 rums), cane simple syrup, Bitter Truth Old
Time Aromatic and Peychaud’s bitters, and a spritz of Vieux
Pontarlier absinthe for aromatics. Bartender Nick Rolin’s Money
to Burn ($16), meanwhile, comprises Torres 15-year-old brandy,
Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, Novo Fogo Tanager cachaça, pineapple
and lime juices, and house-made vanilla and horchata syrups.
“Of course, stirred drinks with brandy are still immensely popu-
lar, but even with those I’ve noticed more widespread apprecia-
tion of using subtle layering to create a detailed evolution on the
palate,” Cognac Park’s Schimek says. At
Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles, bar
manager Aaron Polsky’s Manhattan Special
($12) is a complex stirred cocktail featuring
Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, Atlantico
Private Cask rum, Carpano Antica Formula
sweet vermouth, Bittermens New Orleans
Coffee liqueur and Bittercube Cherry Bark
Vanilla bitters. At Porchlight, Bennett’s
Heartattack and Vine ($15) layers numerous
spirits with the Peruvian brandy Pisco. It
comprises Macchu Pisco, Avuá Amburana
cachaça, Dolin dry vermouth, John D.
Taylor’s velvet falernum, Rothman & Winter
Crème de Violette liqueur, a house-made
blend of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and
G.E. Massenez Kirsch Vieux eau de vie, and
a pinch of salt.
“I’m continuously seeing more brandy and
and avant-garde,” Schimek adds. “There are
new, nontraditional flavor combinations
regularly used now, and bartenders all over the globe are more
widely starting to realize brandy’s value beyond the classics.”
E. & J. Gallo’s Chamberlain adds that craft distilleries are
taking note of this renewed interest in brandy as well, and are
PHOTO BY (BOTTOM) TONY KRASH
releasing regional expressions and new flavor variations that
are helping to grow awareness for the category. “We’re only
at the early stages of the modern-day brandy cocktail move-
ment,” he says. “I’m excited to see what comes next.” mw
Sally Kral is an Ithaca, New York–based freelance writer.