Brandy

Hibiscus is used throughout the Middle East and Latin America to make a ruby-red herbal tea. You can find the flowers at a tea or herb retailer. This hibiscus cordial is the brainchild of our bar manager and long-time friend Robert Krueger. This cleverly designed cordial brings out a rich color, beautiful floral notes, and a nice citrus flavor from the dried hibiscus flowers. It’s the main ingredient in Rob’s Roselle cocktail (page 71). Vodka and brandy serve to fortify the cordial for longer use.

Grenadine has suffered a tragic alteration at the hand of commercial producers, who have made it into an artificially flavored and colored, high-fructose corn syrup travesty that has nothing to do with the fruit for which it is named. (The word “grenadine” comes from the Spanish word for pomegranate, grenada.) Determined to revive the real deal, we crafted our own recipe using POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. We fortify it with Cardenal Mendoza aged Spanish brandy to help preserve it and add an additional depth of flavor. Alternatively, try our Employees Only brand (see the Resources section).

According to cocktail historians, this cocktail first appeared in print in 1895 in Modern American Drinks by George J. Kappeler. Although this drink has fallen into obscurity today, it appeared in every respectable cocktail book printed in the early twentieth century, with the same easy recipe. It seems this drink always had the favor of knowledgeable bartenders and connoisseurs, as its unique blend of flavors could be very challenging to the untrained palate of the casual drinker. In other words, this drink is best recommended for people who have moved beyond simple straightforward flavors and are looking for a carnival in the mouth. The Widow’s Kiss is a seasonal experience best enjoyed when it is cold outside. This classic cocktail is also one of the few cocktails we recommend as a digestive or an after-dinner cocktail.

The Sidecar is another famous cocktail that came out of Paris in the Twenties, thanks to Prohibition driving the best bartenders out of the country. It is said to have been invented at the Ritz Hotel by American ex-pat Frank Meyer, the head bartender. It was a favorite of Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Henry Miller. The Sidecar is also an ideal after-dinner option or even a nightcap because of its “candied” nature. Cognac is rarely mixed with juices, as the subtle qualities in fine brandy are easily lost in cocktails. The Sidecar is one exception—it blends cognac and Cointreau beautifully and balances them out with fresh lemon juice. The key to this cocktail is its sugar rim on the glass. This dissolves on the tongue and mixes with the rest of the drink to create the perfect balance, leaving room for the brandy. For a simple variation on the Sidecar, add a splash of Benedictine and lose the sugar rim to create the Honeymoon.

This is simply a playful variation on the classic Sidecar that we whip out from time to time for the right customer. Calvados is a French apple brandy treated with the same care as cognac. To play off the apple flavors, we added ground cinnamon to the sugar rim—a classic pairing with apples.

The Mata Hari makes reference to the beautiful exotic dancer and alleged double agent of World War I who was wrongfully executed for spying and became the archetype for the term “femme fatale.” In Malay, “mata hari” is the term for the sun, literally “eye of dawn.” This sultry cocktail is a feast for all the senses; stunning to the eye, seductive on the nose, and orgasmic to the taste. We use Employees Only original Chai-Infused Sweet Vermouth with cognac, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, and garnish with dried rose buds, which enhance its bouquet. The result is a cocktail as exotic and (supposedly) dangerous as its namesake.

Before corporate America overwhelmed New York City with its massive amounts of money, shallowness, and brainwashing, the Big Apple was a very lively and dangerous place. Historically, no other city housed such a menagerie of characters, lowlifes, gangsters, and crooks, whose activities gained them a healthy prominence and romantic fame. One of those guys was Jacob “Jack” Rosenzweig, aka Jack Rose. Born in Poland, this famous gambler of the day grew up in the late 1800s in Connecticut and later moved to New York City, where he opened a gambling den, Second Avenue. Although he was not of the caliber of Lucky Luciano or Meyer Lansky, he became very popular when he turned state’s evidence against Lieutenant Charles Becker, a crooked cop linked to bookies and gambling houses around town. Due to Jack Rose’s testimony, Becker was convicted and received the death sentence. Jack in turn became a hero for the common man. The Jack Rose cocktail was created in his honor in 1912 or 1913, using applejack as the dominant ingredient. It remained a crowd-pleaser throughout the Prohibition era because apple brandy was easy to bootleg and was considered one of the safest spirits of the day. We love the version with our homemade grenadine and believe that it makes a fantastic contribution to this Prohibition-era classic.

There is an old tale about a creature that dwells in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. The Jersey Devil is three and a half feet tall, with hoofed hind legs, claws on its front legs, a horse-like head, and bat wings. Rumored to be born of a witch and Satan himself, the Jersey Devil has been blamed for odd sightings, missing people, and stolen livestock since colonial days. Around the same time the legend was born, the Laird family began distilling apple cider. Perfecting the family recipe for applejack, the Laird & Company Distillery became the first commercial distillery in America and is still in business today. They even weathered Prohibition, selling sweet cider and applesauce until they received a special license to produce “medicinal brandy.” Their two main products are Laird’s Apple Brandy and Laird’s AppleJack. The brandy is a 100-proof spirit distilled solely from apples; the AppleJack is a blended spirit of 35 percent apple brandy and 65 percent whiskey. Our Jersey Devil cocktail artistically uses the 100-percent apple brandy and blends it with a unique ingredient—the English Bishop, which calls for roasting a clove-studded orange in a fire and infusing it with port wine. This drink was one of the first to fall into our “fancy cocktail” category because of the detail in the ingredients. It’s also a killer drink and can be successfully used to bait and tranquilize a Jersey Devil.

My grandmother used to take whatever extra livers we had—calf, chicken, goose—and cook them with bacon and a splash of Cognac. She chopped the mixture with a mezzaluna, creating a rustic spread. I swap pancetta for the bacon and puree the mixture in a food processor to create a creamy mousse.

Feel free to substitute 2 1/2 pounds of your favorite dried fruits for the ones called for here. If you choose larger fruits, such as pears or apples, be sure to cut them into a 1/4-inch dice before using. Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Unlike the creamy American dessert of the same name, puddings from Great Britain are dense and cakey. This small-scale version includes pureed dates and a splash of brandy; after baking, the puddings are coated with a delectable toffee glaze.

Make the most of fresh cherry season by baking the little stone fruits right into charming tea cakes. The cakes, made with ground almonds, brown butter, and egg whites, are similar to financiers, which are small, springy brick-shaped cakes named for their resemblance to gold bullion. These cakes are baked with the pits left inside the cherries (be sure to warn guests before serving). Or, if you prefer, remove the pits before baking, leaving the stems intact.

Chocolate and cherries are a match made in heaven—or, in this case—the Black Forest region of Germany, where the original layer cake was created (and cherries are abundant). These miniature versions of the classic German dessert are saturated with cherry liqueur, layered with sweet pastry cream and preserved cherries, and drizzled with rich chocolate ganache.

Elegantly piped ruffles of whipped cream and a fluted crust make for a decidedly more stylish version of the holiday classic. The velvety pumpkin mousse filling is flavored with all the traditional Thanksgiving spices—ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice—and a healthy dose of brandy for good measure. Graham-cracker crumbs are combined with cocoa powder in the crust.

A lattice crust is easily altered to replicate a number of artisanal basketweave designs, such as this striking six-point star pattern. The filling is also out of the ordinary—a blend of dried, not fresh, fruits is poached in a fragrant spiced syrup.

The layered finish that tops this apple pie is created by shingling the leaves. Pastry cutouts in any shape can be arranged in this manner; here, a flurry of leaves accentuates the pie’s autumnal nature.

This vibrant tart heralds the arrival of spring. First-of-the-season rhubarb stalks are poached in spiced brandy, then spooned over a silken citrus-and-yogurt mousse. The cornmeal crust is baked in a springform pan for extra height. You can bake the crust one day, fill with mousse the next, then chill overnight before topping and serving. The rhubarb can also be poached a day ahead and chilled separately.

Fresh figs and strawberries are favorite summer fruits that make a delicious pairing. Here, they are arranged in a pâte brisée shell, then surrounded by a hazelnut batter, which turns golden brown as it bakes. The batter is similar to frangipane, a classic filling for French pastries, notably pithiviers, and all manner of tarts; it is traditionally made from almonds, but other nuts are also common. Armagnac is a fine French brandy; Cognac or another top-quality brandy can be substituted.

This stunning dessert may be a showstopper, but its crust is remarkably simple; it’s an easy-to-make oversize almond macaroon. The strawberries are macerated in sugar and liqueur before arranging on the tart; if allowed to rest for a couple of hours, the airy base will begin to soak up some of the deliciously boozy syrup. Since it’s flourless, the galette is an excellent choice for Passover.