Thinking Outside
The Snifter
How brandy, Cognac and other grape-based
spirits add enticing flavor and finish to cocktails
By Kelly A. Magyarics
J
ust mention the word "brandy," and it conjures up various
images, from the luxury, "bling" affiliation of Cognac and
its promotion by sports stars and entertainers to the quaint
image of a grandfather-type enjoying a snifter and a cigar in
front of the fire. These perceptions of the venerable, grape-based
spirit can be a blessing or a curse.
"I think it's been tough to shake that predisposed vision of
an old man from an old world, sipping an even older spirit after
dinner in his smoking jacket," says Bob McCoy, bartender and
beverage programs liaison for the Boston restaurants Eastern
Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar and The Hawthorne.
But the recent rebirth and availability of quality spirits, and
the rise of the classic cocktail movement, have both breathed
new life into brandy, he says.
Lockwood Restaurant at The Palmer House in Chicagoserves
two brandies ($10 and $12), 12 Cognacs priced $12 to $70, and
one Armagnac ($15). Nine out of 10 times these are ordered
straight up, in a snifter or over ice, says Patrick Coyne, beverage
manager for the 1,639-room Hilton hotel.
The smoothness and round mouth feel of brandy, Cognac,
Armagnac and pisco make them more approachable for newbies
than other spirits, not to mention a welcome addition to
cocktails. The bar at the 233-seat American brasserie Eastern
Standard offers more than 20 types of brandy and its brethren,
ranging in price from $10 to $25.
Cocktails comprise a large part of Eastern Standard's brandy
program, and they help draw in a younger demographic. In
addition to the classic Cognac-based Sidecar ($10) and apple
brandy-based Jack Rose ($10), the restaurant offers the Vélo
($11), with Cognac, pastis, elderflower, tarragon and lemon,
and the sparkling Belle du Jour ($12), with Cognac, lemon,
Bénédictine and house-made grenadine.
The Upper East
Sidecar cocktail at
The Palm.
26
| OCTOBER 2013
MIXING IN
Michael David Murphy has also seen an interest in younger
guests—those aged 21 to 25—willing to try brandy and
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