A Quick Guide to Brandy Cocktails

Cocktails with brandy account for some of the most popular classic cocktails of all time, such as the SideCar, the Brandy Smash, Embassy cocktail and the decadent Brandy Alexander.The popularity of brandy cocktails has surged in the last decade, with enthusiastic and inventive bartenders mixing brandy/cognac with a whole host of cocktail ingredients to create exciting new concoctions to satisfy an increasingly demanding and educated audience of cocktail lovers.
Brandy is mainly produced from fermented grapes, however other fruits such as plums, apples, cherries, pears and apricots can also be used. Firstly, the fruit is fermented into wine and this is then distilled into alcohol. After the distillation process has concluded the aging process takes place. The aging process will determine the quality and the variety of the resulting brandy.

The majority of cocktails with brandy tend to use normal grape brandy, however, brandy cocktails such as the Apricot Martini and the Bajan Passion use Apricot Brandy whereas cocktails such as the Cherrute and the Hunters Cocktail specifically call for Cherry Brandy as part of their cocktail ingredients. One cocktail that calls for a very specific type of brandy is the Pisco Sour, which requires Pisco, a yellow grape brandy produced in the wine making regions of Chile and Peru.
Below we look at 4 of our Favourite Brandy Cocktails:

 

1: Brandy Alexander

The Brandy Alexander is a decadent mix of Brandy, Crème de Cacao, and Milk, topped off with a little grated nutmeg. It is essentially a dessert in a glass and is the perfect after-dinner drink.Legend has it that it was named after the Russian tsar, Alexander II.

Cocktail Ingredients

37 1/2 ml Brandy, 20 ml Crème de Cacao, 50 ml Milk, Grated Nutmeg

How to make a Brandy Alexander cocktail

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass. Fill glass with cubed ice and shake for 10 seconds. Double strain mixture into cocktail glass. Garnish with dusting of nutmeg.

 

2: Brandy Collins

The Brandy Collins is a variation on the Tom Collins drink which is a legendary cocktail which first appeared in the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas The Bartenders Guide. This cocktail simply replaces the gin with brandy.

Cocktail Ingredients

50 ml Brandy, 25 ml Squeezed Lemon Juice, 15 ml Sugar Syrup, 15 ml Soda Water, Maraschino Cherry, Lemon Slice

How to make a Brandy Collins cocktail

Mix the brandy, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a tall glass with ice. Top up with soda water, garnish with a maraschino cherry and a lemon slice and serve.

 

3. Apricot Martini

We thought we would include the Apricot Martini as it features Apricot Brandy as one of its cocktail ingredients.A true apricot brandy will be produced from fermented apricot juice and is found all over the world, although it is particularly popular in France, Hungary and Croatia.

Cocktail Ingredients

37 1/2 ml Vodka, 20ml Apricot Brandy, 25 ml Lemon Juice, 1 dash Angostura Bitters, 12 1/2 ml Simple Syrup, Lemon Zest

How to make Apricot Martini cocktail

Add all ingredients into mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass to the top with cubed ice and then shake for 10 seconds. Double strain into martini glass. Garnish with lemon zest.

 

4. Champagne Cocktail

There are several cocktails with brandy that feature Champagne but perhaps the most well known is the Champagne Cocktail.The brandy and the bitters bring a tangible warmth to any glass of Champagne and give it an extra kick, however the ultimate quality of the cocktail will come down to the quality of the Champagne itself.

Cocktail Ingredients

100 ml Champagne, 25 ml Brandy, 1 heaped bar spoon Sugar, 4 dashes Angostura Bitters,

How to make a Champagne Cocktail

Add 1 heaped bar spoon of sugar into a champagne glass. Add bitters and brandy. Churn with bar spoon to break down the sugar. Top off with champagne. Careful of the fizz!