The Hastings Cocktail
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I'm really hoping that I won't have as much time to binge watch content in 2021. As much as I miss the outside world, it has been fun to expand my viewing habits. And I'll admit that I didn't rush to start watching Bridgerton. It took a couple of episodes, but whether a guilty pleasure or not, I'm in. There, I said it.
I wonder what those gentlemen were imbibing whilst fraternizing with one another at the 'Club'. I see decanters of brown spirit. It could be Rum. Lord knows the British were stockpiling that during the time. But these aristocrats more likely were sipping the finest Brandy that their untold riches could by.
While the cocktail was in its infancy in America during this time, that doesn't mean the Duke wouldn't have enjoyed a proper one. So here goes! Brandy plays softer in straight cocktails than other spirits do so I wanted it to shine. If you ever get to taste really old Brandy, it can have this slightly oxidized almost floral quality to it. By using the Vermouth, adding some bitter charred orange element with the Gran Classico, then drying and tying it all together with the Angostura, this drink to me evokes those old dusty casks of Cognac. Perhaps like the ones The Duke of Hastings would have been fililng his decanter from.
Ingredients
Instructions
Stir and strain into chilled Nick & Nora glass or chilled Coupe. Garnish with Lemon Peel.
Any decent Cognac or Brandy will work. Maison Rouge is one of the best values I've ever found. I also chose Dolin Sweet Vermouth because it tends to be fairly soft in order to allow the flavor of the Brandy to really shine.
Comments
Jennifer Walkovich - March 15, 2021 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Almost as tasty as The Duke himself. Great balance of flavors. This will be a regular cocktail in my rotation.
Dan Mayorgas - January 17, 2021 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very tasty! No way I could find this kind of drink on any menu at a restaurant or bar. So good.
Nick Costantino - January 23, 2021 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another great cocktail! Hit the spot on a rainy night.
Mark Flaming - February 19, 2021 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is just #@(^!& delicious. Like a cross between a manhattan and a negroni. I've had so many great cognac based drinks, that I think they're ready to come back into the limelight. The GranClassico adds such a nice subtle bitterness, it balances the sweet vermouth perfectly. This one is dangerous, being so simple to make, you may find it hard to stop.
