I came to know brandy alexanders when I was in graduate school.
Feist's The Reminder had come out a few months before I left for Pittsburgh, and I quite enjoyed the track "Brandy Alexander". One night, perhaps driven by this song and the exhausting nature of reading countless academic articles, I decided to order one at a local bar in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
From the look on the bartender's face, it occurred to me that this wasn't a drink commonly ordered. But she mixed one up anyway. And it was heavenly.
So tonight, after driving back from a weekend at my brother's, I decided to use one of your brandy infusions and take a new spin on an old favorite.
I chose the fig and vanilla infusion as the base liquor.
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| "Always gets me into trouble/but that's another matter." |
1.5 oz of vanilla fig brandy
.75 oz cream
sprinkle of nutmeg
It's not the exact measurements and components of a true brandy alexander. I felt that the creme de cacao might compromise the fig flavor, so I eliminated that ingredient altogether. It was a savvy decision: the result is an absolute revelation.
The cream rounds out the flavor of the brandy, similar to the way cream affects the flavor profile of coffee. The fig doesn't take a backseat - if anything, it's enhanced while the vanilla falls a little into the background. Cream, therefore, is actually the ideal companion for this concoction.
In fact, I think this is the only one of your infusions that would have worked as an Alexander; the pear infusion wasn't robust enough and there's no way in hell I'm going to mix the cinnamon & prune with anything. I'm still dreading the end of that bottle.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll finish up this cocktail whilst listening to Feist. Because I'm classy like that.
Always,
Joe
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