Brandy Crusta

Taste

On the nose we get orchard fruit from the cognac and a big hit of orange oil off that lemon spiral. On tasting it's boozier than you'd expect from anything with lemon in it, the cognac well out in front and the citrus there to keep it honest rather than to make it a sour. Marzipan from the maraschino sits underneath. Then there's the sugared rim, which sounds like a garnish and isn't, you get a little hit of it on every single sip and the drink doesn't really work without it. Long and warm at the end. Take your time with this one.

Origin

The Brandy Crusta was created in the 1850s by Joseph Santini at the Jewel of the South, his bar at the New Orleans City Exchange. It was one of the city's first true "signature" cocktails, predating even the Sazerac, and its significance goes beyond just being an old drink: Santini's addition of lemon juice and a sugared, citrus-lined glass was new. Every sour that followed, the Sidecar, the Margarita, the whole family, traces back to this one. It was first written down in Jerry Thomas's 1862 Bartender's Guide, cementing Santini's creation in cocktail history. Exact specs have drifted a bit over the years, some historic versions swap the sweetener or drop the maraschino, but the sugared rim and lemon spiral have stayed constant throughout.