The Brandy Crusta is a bit of a mysterious drink. Supposedly invented in 1852 New Orleans by Joseph Santina at The Jewel of the South, a bar on Gravier Street, the Brandy Crusta is impossible to fully understand since there are many “real” recipes floating around (1)(6). The first time we see printed ingredient ratios is in “Professor” Jerry Thomas’ “Bar-Tender’s Guide” in 1862, but since the brand of bitters it calls for (Boker’s) is now defunct, experimentation is a necessity. (2) Because of this, perfectly legitimate recipes vary as much as the weather, and good cocktail explorers need to find the ones that suits them best. Here’s what we know about the Brandy Crusta:
- “Crusta” was introduced as a category of drink that included a sugared rim and citrus peel extension of the glass as a garnish; it never caught on outside of the brandy variety (2)(6)
- It paved the way for the sidecar cocktail (which eclipsed it in popularity due to ease of making), and the margarita
- Sidecars are easier for bartenders, so crustas are tough to find, and recipes vary incredibly (4)(5)
- All crustas should have: orange curaçao or an orange liqueur, lemon juice, brandy, bitters, and a sugar rim
- It is odd that Dale DeGroff, one of America’s most respected barmen, excludes bitters from his recipe (6)
- If there is no sugared rim (and, ideally, a lemon peel lip), it’s not a crusta
- All crustas should have: orange curaçao or an orange liqueur, lemon juice, brandy, bitters, and a sugar rim
- If a bar has one*, you must try it, as they obviously know a thing or two about classic cocktails
This recipe is The Cocktail Explorer’s own; it is not a true original, but a calculated and tested favorite variation. If you enjoy sidecars, you simply must try this version (I recommend orange curaçao: the photo shows one I made for a client with specific tastes).
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The Brandy Crusta: made with Cointreau Triple Sec instead of the traditional orange curacao
BRANDY CRUSTA
1.5 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur
2/3 oz Orange Curaçao
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
1 Dash Peychaud’s Bitters
- rub the outside rim of a stemmed glass with lemon slice, roll in super fine sugar (being careful to only have sugar stick outside the glass)
- Cut lemon peel to length; place inside the rim of the glass, so that the ends provide pressure on each other and the peel becomes an extension of the glass
- place ingredients into iced shaker; shake
- strain into glass, splashing the peel as you pour
*NOTE: Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco has a superb crusta on their cocktail menu (as of this posting). They serve a recipe based on the crusta variation found in “Here’s How – Mixed Drinks” by W. C. Whitfield (1941), and it’s lovely. (3)
Personal Favorite Brands:
Senior Curaçao Orange Liqueur, Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao, Bols Orange Curaçao
Sources:
(1) http://spiritsandcocktails.wordpress.com/2006/11/26/brandy-crust
(2) Haigh, Ted. “The Brandy Crusta.” Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. Deluxe ed. Beverly, MA: Quarry, 2009. 78–81. Print.
(3) http://wiki.webtender.com/wiki/Brandy_Crusta#.22Here.27s_How_-_Mixed_Drinks.2C.22_by_W_C_Whitfield_.281941.29
(4) http://imbibemagazine.com/Recipe-Brandy-Crusta
(5) http://www.esquire.com/drinks/brandy-crusta-drink-recipe
(6) DeGroff, Dale. The Craft of the Cocktail. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2002. 92. Print.
The Cocktail Explorer 