Get ready for Christmas with these brandy cocktails from Bardinet
Whether you're drinking or pouring it over pudding, brandy goes hand in hand with this time of year. Bardinet shares some brandy cocktails for Christmas, as well as how to add some French flair to your festive season
Drinks maker Susan Schwartz putting the finishing touches on the Coco cocktail
Brandy is often associated with the festive season and for good reason, for many a Christmas pudding or mince pie soaked in brandy sauce is a must on the menu. But the versatile, flavourful spirit is also perfect for making a whole host of mouth-watering winter cocktails.
From creamy rich after dinner drinks to light sparkling aperitifs, there are so many different ways to enjoy it. And if you really want to add some seasonal sparkle, why not try a French style brandy like Bardinet which is crafted in Bordeaux and a UK favourite.
To enjoy the good things in life, French style, drinks aficionado Susan Schwartz (who writes the award-winning drinks blog A Lush Life Manual) looked to the past to re-invent three glamourous classic brandy cocktails using Bardinet.
"The roaring 20s (known as Années Folles in France) in my opinion epitomised French joie de vivre, so I have drawn inspiration for each of my creations from an iconic woman from the flapper era."
"As we step softly out of the Covid pandemic, the 2020s might have the potential to become our own Roaring 20s. We will have to wait until the decade is over to discover how events have changed us, but one thing is for sure, our collective desire to enjoy oneself is palpable right now."
Here are two Bardinet brandy cocktails to get you started:
Bardinet brandy cocktails: The Coco
This drink brings together two classic brandy cocktails: the brandy alexander and the brandy flip
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 mins
Named after the famous Gabrielle Chanel who created the flapper's uniform of drop waisted skirts, shorter hem lines, cloche hats, and loads and loads of pearls – and the iconic black and tan Chanel shoe that's the inspiration behind this drink
Ingredients
50ml Bardinet Brandy
25ml Brown Creme de Cacao
25ml cold espresso coffee
One egg (optional) or use two tablespoons of egg white substitute such as aquafaba
12.5ml demerara sugar syrup or white sugar (if you like your cocktails a bit sweeter)
Cocoa powder, to garnish
Method
Add ice to coupe or martini glass to chill and set aside.
Add all the ingredients to a shaker – make sure the espresso is cold or it will cook the egg.
Without adding ice, shake vigorously for thirty seconds.
Add two cubes of ice, then shake as hard as you can.
Double strain the cocktail into a coupe or martini glass.
Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder on top.
Bardinet brandy cocktails: The Zelda
Named after the iconic flapper and author Zelda Fitzgerald, who spent much of her life in France
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 mins
A reimagined French sidecar cocktail that uses apricot brandy. It pairs well with Bardinet and is topped with sparkling wine or champagne – which seems de rigeur, given Zelda's zest for life
Ingredients
50ml Bardinet Brandy
25ml apricot brandy
¼ teaspoon orange juice or orange blossom water
Prosecco (or champagne if you want to add some further French flair)
Zest of an orange, to garnish
Method
Wet the rim of a champagne glass with apricot brandy, then dip into the sugar.
Add the Bardinet, apricot brandy, orange juice (or blossom water) in a shaker, add ice and shake until chilled.
Pour into the glass then top up with prosecco or champagne and stir gently.
Peel a long strip of orange peel and place in glass.
For further festive French cocktails, style tips and competitions visit: bardinetstyle.co.uk
