An aged brandy shows best neat. But classic bartending has cocktails built for brandy, and a good brandy makes them noticeably better. Here are five recipes that are easy to make at home.
1. Sidecar
A 1920s classic and one of the best-known brandy drinks. Measures from the International Bartenders Association (IBA):
- 50 ml brandy (cognac);
- 20 ml triple sec;
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice.
Shake everything with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. You can dip the rim in sugar.
2. Alexander
A dessert cocktail with cream and cocoa. IBA measures:
- 30 ml brandy (cognac);
- 30 ml brown crème de cacao;
- 30 ml fresh cream.
Shake with ice, strain into a chilled glass and top with freshly grated nutmeg.
3. French Connection
The simplest of all, with just two ingredients. IBA measures:
- 35 ml brandy (cognac);
- 35 ml amaretto.
Pour straight into an old fashioned glass with ice and stir gently. The almond notes of amaretto sit well with the roasted almond in an aged brandy.
4. Brandy Old Fashioned
The classic Old Fashioned with brandy instead of whiskey:
- 50 ml brandy;
- 1 sugar cube or 1 tsp simple syrup;
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters;
- orange peel.
Mix the sugar and bitters in a rocks glass, add the brandy and a large ice cube, stir and express the orange peel over the glass.
5. Hot toddy
A winter drink for a cold evening:
- 40 ml brandy;
- 1 tsp honey;
- a slice of lemon;
- 120 ml hot water or light tea.
Dissolve the honey in the hot water, add the lemon and the brandy last. Don't boil it, so the aroma stays.
Which brandy to use
For cocktails with cream, liqueurs or juice, a young brandy of three to five years is enough. For an Old Fashioned or a Sidecar, where the brandy leads, take an aged one: it is softer and has more depth.
TUFF XO is aged 20 years and TUFF Heritage 30 years. They are made to be sipped neat from a tulip glass, but a generous Old Fashioned with TUFF XO is a treat too.
Read more: How to drink Armenian brandy · The brandy glass
Questions and answers
What cocktails are made with brandy?
The best known are the Sidecar, the Alexander, the French Connection, the Brandy Old Fashioned and the hot toddy.
Which brandy is best for cocktails?
For cocktails with liqueurs, cream or juice, a young brandy of three to five years is enough. When brandy leads the drink, as in an Old Fashioned, use an aged one.
How much brandy goes into a Sidecar?
The International Bartenders Association recipe uses 50 ml cognac, 20 ml triple sec and 20 ml lemon juice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcohol is for adults of legal drinking age only.
