I picked up some semi expensive brandy a few weeks ago seeing how it always looked so pretty in those brandy snifter glasses. Blech! How do people stomach it? Can you mix it with anything to make it taste better? Are they any forms of mixed drinks that it traditionally used in. It reminds me of turpentine how it is. The problem is that I spent 40 bucks on it and don’t want it to go to waste. If I was less scrupelous I would hand it out to the evil devil children who live across the street, but of course that will never happen.
So, what recipes can I use brandy in? Desserts, entrees, mixed drinks are all encouraged.
Hmmm. Some of those sound ok. The brandy alexander sounds a lot like a White Russian which to me tastes like iced coffee too. So in theory, can I use it much like I would use vodka?
I don’t know your age, but that might have something to do with it. Real cognac is an acquired taste. For me, it was not so much that I was myself to drink it. It was more that it was offered at dinners and what have you and gradually over the years, I learned to enjoy it.
Brandy/Cognac is made from destilled wine (basically). There are a lot of diferent types. Problem is - for it to be enjoyable, it should be real cognac (from France, you know) and the pricier stuff.
That thing about age: When I was 20 and trying desperateley to be cool, smoking camel, no filters, wearing a black turtle neck, studying movie science and theatre at college (just so you know what a dork I was), I tried to drink Dry Martini. Bleh. Feh. Yuck. It looked so cool, them glasses, the olive, all the myths in all the mvoes and books. But yuck.
I got to like it when I was about 35.
Rub a good-sized section of lemon peel all over the rim of a coffee mug, and put the peel in the mug with two teaspoons of sugar. Munch the peel and sugar around a bit with the end of a teaspoon. Add a good jigger or two of brandy, and then add boiling water to your taste. Give it a good stir to dissolve the sugar.
Mmmm-mm. As an added bonus, if you have a bad head cold, a hot toddy is good for what ails you.
No. No, there’s no way that fine brandy can taste good. It’s all been a plot, over hundreds of years, by the French and large gouty wealthy Englishmen sitting in private London clubs.
Mail me your unused Cognacs and Armagnacs. I’ll make sure it’s disposed of properly.
I’ve tried, my GAWD have I tried, to like fine brandies and scotches. While my efforts to acclimate my palate have succeeded my stomach has, unfortunately - FORCEFULLY!! - failed to go along with the plan.
In other words, shots and/or straight liquor + chique’s stomach = projectile vomiting.
So. When I found myself with a fifth of Courvosier I made this:
<At this point I was going to dig out my extraordinarily spectacular version of real honest-to-gawd French chocolate mousse with espresso, good chocolate, and good brandy. Unfortunately, my recipe book seems to have gone on hiatus. If you email me a reminder, I shall search for it until I find it again.>
<I’m going to hide now. But it’s a REALLY good recipe!!>
