Brandy Crusta

Name: Brandy Crusta
Prep time: PT0D0H5M
Cook time: PT0D0H0M
Total time: PT0D0H5M
Yield: Makes 1 cocktail
Ingredients: 2 oz. cognac, such as Courvoisier 12; 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp. orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier; 1 tsp. simple syrup; 2 dashes bitters (see headnote); One 1-in.-wide lemon zest strip

Here’s how to make the famous citrus-kissed cocktail from New Orleans.

Serves
Makes 1 cocktail
Prep
5 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING BY JESSIE YUCHEN

By SAVEUR Editors

Updated on October 25, 2023

Invented in antebellum New Orleans, the citrus-kissed brandy crusta cocktail was a precursor to the sidecar. We love the depth and roundness of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters here, but good ol’ Angostura will get you where you need to go, too.

Featured in “Cognac Cocktails,” by David Wondrich.

Ingredients

2 oz. cognac, such as Courvoisier 12
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 tsp. simple syrup
2 dashes bitters (see headnote)
One 1-in.-wide lemon zest strip

Instructions

Step 1

In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, shake the cognac, lemon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and bitters until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cordial glass and drop in the lemon strip.