This one caught my eye because I was looking at the index and saw kind of a large area where I had not chosen a drink. The one in the middle of the empty section was the East India Cocktail:
- 3.0 ounces brandy
- 0.5 ounces raspberry syrup
- one dash Angostura bitters
- one teaspoon orange curaçao
- one teaspoon maraschino liqueur
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
My, this is good.
This is truly vintage, being featured in Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual in 1882.
I was a little skeptical about the portion size of this drink as I tend not to drink 3+ ounces of spirits on a weeknight, but it was very smooth and slightly sweet. I found it paired well with watching Cowboy Bebop from the blu-ray discs that I had received as a gift. Even thought the video is set in the future, the music seems perfect for vintage cocktails.
I always associate brandy and cognac with sitting in front of a fire on a cold night, and this fit the bill perfectly.
Rating: 4/5
Notes: I bought a bottle of Martell cognac simply because it was referenced elsewhere in the book. It is very nice. I used the recommended Smucker’s Raspberry syrup as well.