This Under-the-Radar New Orleans Cocktail Rocks

The Brandy Crusta is a timeless New Orleans cocktail that lives under the radar. It’s also sweet, sour and sophisticated.

Brandy Crusta Cocktail with Black Background — It’s time for the timeless Brandy Crusta to shine. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The Brandy Crusta is a sophisticated sipper that’s crafted with four liquors – brandy, orange liqueur, maraschino liqueur and Angostura bitters – plus freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. This combination results in a timeless cocktail that’s notable both for its complex flavors and appearance.

Mixologists traditionally garnish the Brandy Crusta with a horse’s neck lemon twist that they wrap inside the glass. While that garnish is visually distinct, the cocktail’s big crusty sugar rim is what makes it special.

History of the Brandy Crusta

Brandy Crusta Cocktail and Cognac Bottle — The Brandy Crusta is a classy cocktail despite its low brow name. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The Brandy Crusta’s history traces back more than a century to one bartender and one bar – Joseph Santini and The Jewel of the South.

Santini began serving the Brandy Crusta after he opened the French Quarter bar in 1855. It didn’t take long for the cocktail to hit the big time, as evidenced by its inclusion in Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide in 1962. However, after Santini sold The Jewel of the South later that decade, the bar and the cocktail lost their luster. The cocktail was practically forgotten for more than a century.

Two relatively recent events have given the Brandy Crusta new life. First, it was featured in David Wondrich’s Imbibe, a classic cocktail guide that salutes Thomas. Second, and more important, bartenders Nick Detrich and Chris Hannah opened a new version of Jewel of the South in 2019. The duo has won numerous accolades including a coveted James Beard award. More important, in a savvy full circle move, Brandy Crusta is the signature drink at the reincarnated French Quarter bar.

Ingredients

This Brandy Crusta recipe requires the following ingredients:

Cognac – While you could hypothetically use a different brandy in this recipe, we recommend using cognac (twice-distilled, barrel-aged brandy that’s produced in Cognac, France). Our go-to cognac is Courvoisier V.S. cognac which has a 40% ABV.
Orange Liqueur – We use Cointreau to craft this and other cocktails. Produced in France, it has a 40% ABV. You can use another orange liqueur like Grand Marnier instead.
Maraschino Liqueur – Luxardo produces our preferred maraschino liqueur – no surprise there since we’re obsessed with the Italian company’s maraschino cherries. The clear cherry liqueur has a 32% ABV,
Angostura Bitters – Produced by the House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago with a secret recipe and sporting a 44.7% ABV, Angostura bitters is the ideal bitters for this cocktail recipe.
Lemon Juice – We freshly squeeze lemon juice and you should do the same.
Simple Syrup – We make simple syrup by mixing equal parts of sugar and water. There’s no need to buy a bottle.
Granulated Sugar – Don’t be shy when you create the crusty rim. The goal here is to create a deep layer of sugar.
Orange Peel – Although the traditional Brandy Crusta recipe calls for a long lemon twist, we garnish ours with a simple orange peel. You can garnish your cocktail with either lemon or orange peel in a shape of your choice.
Ice Cubes (for shaking)

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

How to Craft a Brandy Crusta

Brandy Crusta Cocktail Mise en Place — You don’t need any fancy bar tools or exotic ingredients to craft a Brandy Crusta at home. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Crafting a Brandy Crusta is almost as much fun as sipping one.

The first step is to create a wide sugar rim on a coupe glass. To do this, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a coupe glass. Dip the glass onto a plate topped with granulated sugar. Twirl the glass until the rim is well coated. Set the glass aside.

Preparing Glass for Sugar Rim — Step 1 | Images: ©2foodtrippers

Measure the cognac, orange liqueur, maraschino liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. We use a Japanese Jigger to get accurate measurements and easy pours for these liquid ingredients.

Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade. That’s what we did.

Measuring Cognac for a Brandy Crusta Cocktail — Step 2 | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Pour the liquids into a shaker as you measure them. We use a Boston Shaker to craft this and other cocktails – it’s easy to use and doesn’t make a mess.

Pouring Cognac into a Brandy Crusta Cocktail — Step 3 | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Add a handful of ice cubes to the shaker and shake vigorously until the liquids are chilled and blended. This step should take about 20 seconds.

Adding Ice to Shaker for a Brandy Crusta Cocktail — Step 4 | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Strain the cocktail into the sugar-coated coupe glass.

Straining a Brandy Crusta Cocktail — Step 5 | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Garnish with an citrus twist.

Garnishing a Brandy Crusta Cocktail — Step 6 | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Variations

Crafted Brandy Crusta Cocktail — There’s only one way to find out the Brandy Crusta is your favorite New Orleans cocktail. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Consider the following variations once you master this Brandy Crusta recipe:

Tweak the ingredient ratio to craft a cocktail that’s either sweeter or more sour than the classic mix.
Experiment with different brandies and orange liqueurs to find your favorite flavor combination.
Flex your mixology muscles by creating a fancy citrus peel garnish.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Brandy Crusta cocktail?

The Brandy Crusta is classic New Orleans cocktail that’s crafted with cognac, orange liqueur, maraschino liqueur, Angostura bitters, lemon juice and syrup. The cocktail is notable for its crusty sugar rim and long citrus peel garnish.

Where was the Brandy Crusta invented?

The Brandy Crusta was invented in New Orleans.

What are the ingredients in a Brandy Crusta?

Cognac, Orange Liqueur, Maraschino Liqueur, Angostura Bitters, Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed), Simple Syrup, Orange Peel (garnish) and Ice Cubes (for shaking)

Is the Brandy Crusta shaken or stirred?

The Brandy Crusta cocktail can be shaken or stirred.

Did you craft this cocktail? If so, please rate the recipe below.

Brandy Crusta Recipe

The Brandy Crusta is a New Orleans cocktail that’s notable for its wide sugar rim. Learn how to craft the tasty tipple at home.

Course: Drink

Cuisine: Cocktail

Servings: 1

Prep Time10 minutes

Total Time5 minutes

Calories: 244kcal

Author: Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

2 ounces cognac
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 ounce lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
granulated sugar (for sugar rim)
1 citrus peel (lemon or orange) (garnish)
ice cubes (for shaking)

Run a lemon wedge around the rim of a coupe glass and then dip the glass into sugar, twirling the glass until the rim is well coated. Set the glass aside.
Pour cognac, maraschino liqueur, orange liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker. Add Angostura bitters dashes.
Toss in a handful of ice cubes and shake until liquids are mixed and chilled – approximately 20 seconds.
Strain into the sugar-rimmed coupe glass.
Garnish with a long citrus twist.

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