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Bartending Home
01. Aperitif
02. Birth of Cocktail
03. Whiskey Drinks
04. Juleps
05. Absinthe Drinks
06. Gin Drinks
07. Rum Drinks
08. Pousse Cafes
09. Brandy Drinks
10. Cafe Brulot
11. Flips
12. Slings
13. Swizzle
14. Punches
15. Wassail Bowl
16. Eggsnogs
17. White Ribbon Punch
18. The Contradiction
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9. Brandy Drinks |
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"Buy any brand-wine, buy any brand-wine?" London street cry, 1622.
The name brandy comes from Old Dutch Brand-wijn, meaning "burnt (i.e. distilled) wine," and to the end of the 17th century the old original form, "brandy-wine" was used. Properly, brandy is an ardent spirit distilled from wine, although similar liquors distilled from fermented juice of peaches, cherries, apples, or other fruits, are also called brandies . . . such as peach brandy.
Genuine cognac is recognized as the finest of brandies and was called cognac from the fact that a superior brandy is produced at or near the town of Cognac in the Charente region of France, center of a famous grape growing territory. For the same reason brandy is better known today as cognac in its native land than by its original French name of eau-de-vie. In the United States it is usually called "cognac brandy."
While the term cognac is loosely applied to any French brandy, it should be borne in mind that all brandy is not cognac. Among the better known cognacs are those of Martell, established in 1715, and that produced by the firm of James Hennessy, whose bottles carry the familiar "three-star" designation. In 1765 the original James Hennessy, an Irish adventurer, offered his sword in service to the French king, and during his fighting days was stationed in the Charente valley where he became enamored of the excellent brandy there produced. When swords were sheathed, Hennessy settled in this vineyard country and became a grape-grower, a brandy-distiller, and a cognac-bottler.
"/ WO8 entertained, with Kisses fine, and Brandy Wine." 1719. Seventy-two
Cafe Royale
In New Orleans a certain coffee drink is often erroneously called a pousse cafe. It is in reality a Caf4 Royale or Cafe Real, nothing more or less than black coffee in a demi tasse with cognac brandy floated on top.
It should not be called a chasse cafe because basically it is coffee itself, and you can't chase coffee with coffee. The Cafe Royale should not be confused with that other famous New Orleans' after-dinner drink, Cafe Brulot, the recipe for which will be found on the next page.
Orange Brulot
1 orange
1 pony cognac brandy
1 lump sugar
Take an orange and lightly slit the peel horizontally through the middle, then turn the rind back and upward to form a cup. Repeat with the other half of rind, reversing the process to form a base. Be careful not to disengage the peel from either end of the orange, and leave the stripped orange pulp intact for the center standard of your natural goblet.
In the upper part of the orange rind or cup place a lump of sugar, then pour in the pony of brandy. Set off with a match and stir while the sugar is dissolving in the blue flame.
Preparing this natural container takes practice and deftness, and the idea of burning the brandy in the orange rind is for the sake of the flavor and oil contained in the peel, besides making a picture that charms with its novelty. The fruit of the orange is delightful to eat after the brandy has been burned and the drink quaffed.
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