Brandy Cocktails, sans St. Bernard

Mondays on the BottleBlog will feature a cocktail recipe that is sure to be just the thing to get you through the rest of the work week. Though we don't expect you'll bring in all the fixins into your place of employment, we hope you'll try our recipes responsibly at home! Today we're talking about Brandy.

So, it's supposed to snow and ice again, starting tonight at 10:00 or so, and lasting until... well, JUNE, apparently. I swear, I'm about to raise my white flag in surrender and wait for the St. Bernard to show up with the little barrel of Brandy around his neck to save me.

Unfortunately, the "barrel of Brandy" around the St. Bernard's neck is just a tall tale, or an urban legend. Even though our managers probably won't deliver it to you from a barrel around their necks, Joe Canal's has plenty of Brandy available to get everyone through this upcoming storm, and beyond.

Of course, Brandy is just fine to warm your blood when drunk, neat, out of a snifter, but there are variations on recipes that feature Brandy that are very delicious and have the same effect.

Brandy Alexander
One of the greatest cocktails of them all, Alexander can be served at the end of a grand dinner with coffee as a creamy digestif, or as the first drink of the evening at a cocktail party, since the cream in it helps to line the stomach. It was possibly originally made with gin rather than brandy, and the cream was unsweetened, but the formula below is undoubtedly the best of all possible worlds.

-1 measure (1 1/2 tbsp.) Brandy
-1 measure (1 1/2 tbsp.) brown creme de cacao
-1 measure (1 1/2 tbsp.) double (heavy) cream

Shake the ingredients thoroughly with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Scatter ground nutmeg on top. Alternatively, sprinkle with grated dark chocolate.

Brandy Crusta
The sweet, frosted rim is all-important in thie most appealing drink. It mitigates some of the sourness in the drink itself.

-1 1/2 measures (6 tsp) Brandy
-1/2 measure (2 tsp) Cointreau
-1/4 measure (1 tsp) maraschino
dash Angostura bitters
-1/4 measure (1 tsp) lemon juice

Frost the rim of a wide tumbler by dipping it first in lemon juice and then in caster (superfine) sugar. Hang a twist of lemon ring in it, and then fill it with cracked ice. Stir all the ingredients well with ice in a pitcher until the mixture is well-chilled, and then strain into the prepared glass. Garnish further with a half-slice of orange.

Last Goodbye
The flavors of cherry brandy and Cointreau are seen as being particularly compatible with cognac, and this is another appealing mixture.

-1 measure (1 1/2 tbsp.) cognac
-3/4 measure (3 tsp) cherry brandy
-1/4 measure (1 tsp) Cointreau
-1/2 measure (2 tsp) lime juice
-1/4 measure (1 tsp) grenadine

Shake all the ingredients well with ice, and strain into a balloon glass. You could garnish with a lime slice or a cherry.