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| Brandy
Cocktails |
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Click the letters above to go to the recipes
To
Measure Cocktails
In the following
recipes, the flavouring ingredients added to the basic spirits are
for one drink, e.g. 1 dash of Angostura bitters, juice of 1/2 lemon,
etc. Always be prepared, however, to put in more or less flavouring
to suit your own taste.
Use a tot or similar measure to judge the amounts of the basic ingredients
themselves. The 'parts' or proportions of these ingredients which
you use for one drink should nearly (but not quite) fill a 3-Ounce
cocktail glass, after adding juices or flavourings and allowing
for a little iced water from the cocktail shaker. You can make several
glassfuls at once, but never fill a glass (or a shaker) more than
four—fifths full.
Tot and similar measures for cocktails are available in most department
stores, and most are marked at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 tot or 'ounce'
level. Some measures give 5 tots to a gill (26 2/3 per bottle),
others give 6 tots (32 per bottle).
To
Mix Cocktails
Cocktails
are mixed either in a shaker or mixing glass. The procedure for
the making of these two types of cocktail is as follows:
SHAKER Put ice into cocktail shaker, pour in the necessary
ingredients, shake briefly and sharply unless a particular recipe
states otherwise. Then strain into a suitable glass. Except where
indicated, this is the method used for all the cocktail recipes
in the following pages
MIXING GLASS Put ice into mixing glass, pour in the necessary
ingredients, stir until cold, then strain into a suitable glass.
Glasses Unless a particular recipe states otherwise,
a normal 3-ounce cocktail glass should be used.
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The
Art of drinking brandy
Brandy drinking is an art. The way a brandy is enjoyed
determines the introduction of the spirit to our senses, sight,
smell and taste.
Visual
assessment / Appearance
The appearance
of the brandy should be assessed preferably against a white background
to examine the colour profile. The colours will vary in younger
to older brandies from straw-like, golden-yellow, amber and amber
brown to mahogany and fire-like. The latter colours are indicative
of a highly matured brandy, high in complexity.
Nose
/Bouquet / Aroma
The initial
nose observed, unlike wine, without swirling the content of the
glass, as the respective flavours can be assessed in different
layers in the glass and directly above it, due to differences
in volatility. There are 3 basic layers of detection.
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Layer
1 is assessed from ± 4 cm above the rim of the glass.
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Layer 2 is assessed from the rim of the glass.
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While
layer 3 is assessed ± 2 cm inside the rim of the glass.
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Flavours in a brandy can usually be linked directly to certain
fatty acids and long chain esters.
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These
chemical components provide the brandy with distinctive flavours
which follow aroma wheels.
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These
aroma wheels typically describe the brandy from it being a very
young spirit to one which is old and very matured.
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Typical
flavour profiles would respectively include descriptions like
vegetal, fruity, flowery, vanilla, tannins, herbs and spices,
port, nutty, cigarbox and sandalwood.
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Only after the 3 distinctive layers are assessed individually,
can one slightly rotate the glass to determine the whole.
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In the case where more than one brandy is nosed, it is good
practice to go from the following brandy back to the previous
one to completely assess the comparison.
Taste
Now for the
ultimate test. The tasting of the brandy completes the assessment.
Swell 1 - 2 m( of brandy over the whole of the tongue. This is
done to observe all intensities of flavours (sweetness, sourness/acidity,
bitterness and saltiness. Notes should also be taken on the palate
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