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Category: Cocktails

Celebrate August sunshine with a fresh take on French classics – perfect for long lunches, garden gatherings and golden-hour aperitifs.

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August is the perfect moment to slow down, enjoy the sunshine and raise a glass to all things refreshing. At Brandyclassics, we’ve curated a selection of exceptional spirits and aperitifs that are ideal for crafting bright, elegant summer spritzes. These French favourites bring finesse, flavour and a seasonal twist to every glass.

Château de Beaulon Pineau des Charentes White 2000

Aged with care and crafted with finesse, the Château de Beaulon Pineau des Charentes White 2000 offers gentle sweetness, notes of dried fruit and a mellow richness that balances beautifully in a chilled spritz. Add fizz and you’ve got a soft, orchard-fruit profile with real summer charm.
Discover Château de Beaulon Pineau des Charentes White 2000

Nusbaumer Crème de Framboise des Bois

Vibrant and bursting with natural raspberry character, the Nusbaumer Crème de Framboise des Bois is a striking base for a fruit-forward spritz. Its deep, wild berry tones bring brightness and balance when topped with tonic or sparkling wine – think forest fruits, sunshine and sophistication.
Explore Nusbaumer Crème de Framboise des Bois

Montanaro Aperitivo 6PM

Made for early evenings and aperitivo moments, the Montanaro Aperitivo 6PM is a lively spirit with zesty orange and bitter herb notes – the perfect way to open up a warm summer night. Pair with soda and prosecco for a light, Italian-style spritz with a refined French edge.
View Montanaro Aperitivo 6PM

Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac

For a richer, more indulgent spritz, the Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac adds depth and complexity. Its elegant notes of soft fruit, honey and spice lend themselves beautifully to citrus or tonic pairings, creating a luxurious summer drink that’s as refined as it is refreshing.
Shop Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac

Domaine de Cassagnoles 5 Year Old Ténarèze Armagnac

With subtle wood, dried fruit, vanilla spice and green gage plum, the Domaine de Cassagnoles 5 Year Old Ténarèze Armagnac offers a warm, expressive base for a unique summer serve. Add champagne and a splash of sparkling or herbal tonic and enjoy a nuanced take on a classic spritz, full of character.
Try Domaine de Cassagnoles 5 Year Old Ténarèze Armagnac

Toutain Réserve 3 Year Old Calvados

Crisp, bright and apple-fresh, the Toutain Réserve 3 Year Old Calvados is a lively, youthful spirit that sings of the orchard. A natural partner for chilled tonic and garden herbs, it’s the ultimate countryside spritz – refreshing, spirited and made for long afternoons in the sun. Add prosecco, soda water and garnish with the zest of an orange.
View Toutain Réserve 3 Year Old Calvados

Make August Deliciously Different
Whether you’re hosting friends, escaping to the coast or simply soaking up some sunshine at home, these fine French spirits add a seasonal sparkle to any occasion. Discover your perfect summer spritz with Brandyclassics.

Browse our full collection for more warm-weather inspiration:
👉 www.brandyclassics.com

Celebrate World Cocktail Day

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Cognac Old Fashioned

World Cocktail Day, celebrated annually on May 13th, pays tribute to the artistry and skill involved in cocktail crafting. It acknowledges the global significance and diversity of cocktails, tracing back to the first definition of the term “cocktail” in 1806 within The Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication based in Hudson, New York. Cocktails have since become integral to social gatherings, offering a wide array of flavours and concoctions for people to enjoy and unwind. From the classic sophistication of a Martini to the tropical allure of a Piña Colada or the refreshing tang of a Mojito, cocktails provide endless opportunities for creativity and indulgence. World Cocktail Day encourages enthusiasts to explore new recipes, support local bars and mixologists, and raise a toast to the timeless art of cocktail making. So, whether you prefer your drink shaken or stirred, take a moment today to celebrate the enchantment of cocktails and the joy they bring to our lives. Here’s to World Cocktail Day!

And what better way to honour this occasion than by savouring a Cognac Old Fashioned? This refined twist on a classic cocktail combines the intricate, robust flavours of cognac with the timeless sophistication of an Old Fashioned. To concoct this delightful blend, mix 50 ml of Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac, 7.5 ml of simple syrup, and a few dashes of Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir thoroughly and strain into a chilled glass over a ice cubes. Garnish with a twist of orange peel to add a zesty touch. Sip slowly and relish the harmonious medley of flavours – it’s a cocktail experience beyond compare.

Happy mixing!

Grapefruit Montanaro Cocktail

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Introducing the Grapefruit Montanaro Cocktail: A Refreshing Twist on a Classic Cocktail

If you’re seeking a sophisticated yet light libation to elevate your evening, look no further than the Grapefruit Montanaro Cocktail. Crafted with the finest ingredients including Montanaro Aperitivo 6 PM vermouth and Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin, this drink promises a delightful symphony of flavours that dance across your palate.

Grapefruit Montanaro Cocktail

Montanaro Aperitivo 6 PM vermouth sets the stage for this cocktail with its invigorating blend of citrus and herb essences. This vermouth isn’t just an accompaniment; it’s the star of the show. Sipping it on the rocks with a grapefruit wedge is an experience in itself, but when combined with the botanical notes of Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin, its flavours truly shine.

The addition of gin not only boosts the alcohol content of the cocktail but also serves to balance out any excess sweetness, resulting in a harmonious blend of flavours. But we’re not done yet – the fresh lime juice and grapefruit add a zesty, citrusy punch that elevates the cocktail to new heights.

To ensure that every sip is as refreshing as the first, we top off the concoction with a splash of sparkling water. This not only adds a delightful effervescence but also lightens the overall beverage, making it the perfect companion for any occasion.

Ingredients:

  • Ice
  • 25 ml Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin
  • 25 ml Montanaro Aperitivo 6 PM vermouth
  • Splash of lime juice
  • Grapefruit peel and wedge, for garnish
  • S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, fill to rim

Method:

  1. Fill a glass with ice.
  2. Pour in the Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin and Montanaro Aperitivo 6 PM vermouth.
  3. Add a splash of lime juice for that extra citrusy kick.
  4. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit peel and a wedge for added flair.
  5. Top off with S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water until the glass is filled to the rim.
  6. Give it a gentle stir to mix all the flavours together.
  7. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the refreshing burst of flavors with every sip.

Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply unwinding after a long day, the Grapefruit Montanaro Cocktail is sure to impress.

Hot Cocktails

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This current cold weather is perfect for trying some of our new, Hot Cocktails. All based on summer varieties they introduce some new, warming ideas to keep away the winter chills.

Hot Toddy

Based on the traditional Hot Toddy, often used to relieve cold and flu symptoms, this popular night cap is fruity and spicy.

Ingredients

  • 50ml Mosgaard Single Malt Whisky
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 25ml lemon juice
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Method: Combine boiled water, whisky, honey, lemon juice, and water in a mug. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cinnamon stick.

Hackney Homebrew

A little stronger and sharper but a lovely warm sipper.

Ingredients

  • 40ml Mosgaard Danish Gin
  • 20ml Montanaro Rosso Di Torino Vermouth
  • 10ml sugar syrup
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • Fresh nutmeg
  • Orange zest, to garnish

Method: Combine gin, vermouth and sugar syrup in a pan. Simmer on a low heat. Break the cinnamon and add with 20 grates of fresh nutmeg and the star anise. Pour into a glass and grate over orange zest.

Hot Old Fashioned Gin

Changing the whisky for gin, and serving it warm, creates a perfect spin on the beloved drink, Old Fashioned.

Ingredients

  • 50ml Mosgaard Danish Gin
  • 10ml sugar syrup
  • 3 dashes orange bitters
  • 50ml boiling water
  • Orange twist, to garnish

Method: Gently heat gin, syrup and bitters in a pan and add the boiling water. Serve garnished with an orange twist.

Christmas Cocktails

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This Christmas we are looking forward to drinking some very popular cocktails at home. So, to make things easy, we are offering Cocktail Kits at discounted prices – they will be on sale throughout December on our home page.

The Kits comprise all you need to make these delicious cocktails in the comfort of your own home throughout the festive season:

Negroni

To make the perfect classic Negroni cocktail, use equal parts gin, vermouth and bitters poured over ice, stirred and garnished with orange peel.

The Negroni Kit includes:

Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin

Montanaro Vermouth Rosso Di Torino

Montanaro Bitter Naturale

Tangerine Negroni

Tangerine Negroni

All you need to make delicious Tangerine Negroni cocktails this Christmas is replace the Dry Gin with:

Mosgaard Organic Tangerine Gin

The Tangerine Negroni Kit can be purchased here.

Martini

To make the perfect martini use 60ml gin and 1 tablespoon vermouth poured over ice, stirred and garnished with lemon peel.

The Martini Kit includes:

Mosgaard Organic Dry Gin

Montanaro Vermouth Bianco Di Torino

Celebrate World Calvados Day

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World Calvados Day

This is apple harvest time and Friday 20th October is World Calvados Day. To celebrate we thought you might like to try something new.

Apple Calvados is a lovely, warming drink to enjoy on an autumnal evening:

Place a piece of root ginger and a cinnamon stick in a pan over a low heat. Pour in 50ml of Toutain Reserve 3yo Calvados and 150ml of fresh apple juice. Stirring constantly, heat the cocktail but do not let it boil. As soon as it warms up to 70/80 degrees C, pour it into a glass and serve.

And if calvados is not your spirit of choice, then how about some apple gin? Produced in Denmark, our organic Mosgaard Filippa Gin is made from spicy, sweet Filippa apples that have a fresh acidity after harvest. These fresh apples are macerated in the distilled spirit giving a velvet smooth and fresh apple flavoured gin. Try it with tonic because Thursday 19th October is International Gin & Tonic Day!

World Calvados Day Thursday 20th October

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World Calvados DayToday Thursday, 20th October, is World Calvados Day.  If you would like to try this fabulous French apple brandy how about making something different?  Calvados and tonic is France’s answer to the G&T and is a staple in Normandy.  Although traditionally served chilled, it is just as fabulous with heaps of ice, a ton of tonic and a simple lemon twist producing a drink that’s “A little bitter and sweet, refreshing and bright”.

INGREDIENTS

Serving: 1

Garnish: lemon twist

DIRECTIONS
  1. Pour the Calvados into a Burgundy glass over ice.
  2. Top with tonic water.
  3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Reproduced from Punch.

National Calvados Week and Liqueur Day

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calvados weekCalvados is a brandy made from apples and produced exclusively in Normandy.  Its history dates back to 1553, when the drink was known as cidre eau-de-vie.  The name calvados was introduced in the late 1700s, when France was divided into departments, and it is now known as one of the Three Noble French Eaux de Vie (cognac and armagnac being the other two).  National Calvados Week is now in its tenth year and will run, alongside the annual apple harvest, from 10 – 16 October in bars and retailers throughout the UK.  World Calvados Day will follow on shortly afterwards, on the 20th October, which falls on the eve of National Apple Day.  If calvados is new to you, now is the time to try it.  We have recently taken on a new supplier, Toutain, whose calvados are some of the finest we have ever tasted.  Rich in fruity, appley flavours they evoke perfect seasonal aromas of autumn in the North of France.

~

Also on the 16th of October we will be celebrating National Liqueur Day.  A liqueur is a distilled spirit-based drink that is further blended with natural sweet flavours (such as sugar or corn syrup along with fruits, nuts, creams, plats, purees, spices, etc).   Although the base spirit will have been aged, the liqueur is not; it just undergoes a brief resting stage for the flavours to blend.  Liqueurs generally have an abv of 15 – 30% and are great for cocktails.  You can also have them straight, mixed with other drinks or desserts, or simply poured over ice.  Check out our range, including Nusbaumer, here.

 

 

Negroni Week 3 – 9 October 2022

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NegroniNegroni Week was originally scheduled to take place on 12-18 September brand but it will now take place in the UK on 3-9 October 2022.  The aperitivo brand, Campari, put all marketing activities in the UK on hold in the days following the Queen’s death on 8 September, including the week-long annual celebration of the Italian cocktail.

Brad Madigan, managing director, commented “Whilst it felt appropriate to postpone Negroni Week in the UK, out of respect for Her Majesty the Queen, we are looking forward to being able to celebrate the landmark occasion of the 10-year anniversary with lovers of this cocktail across the country.”  Over the past decade, this special week has raised more than US$3 million for charitable organisations.

Our classic Negroni recipe is:

Vermouth Day – Monday 21st March

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Vermouth DayOn the 21st of March, we are going to celebrate Vermouth Day.  Created by Giancarlo Mancino, the date corresponds with the beginning of spring, a period of the year where everything is flourishing.  ‘The first flowers bloom, the plants become increasingly green and the scents in the air are so many and so diverse that you want to trap them all inside a bottle.’

Vermouth is an aromatised fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices). The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid to late 18th century in Turin, Italy. While vermouth was traditionally used for medicinal purposes, it was later served as an apéritif, with fashionable cafés in Turin serving it to guests around the clock. In the late 19th century it also became popular with bartenders as a key ingredient for cocktails, such as the Martini, the Manhattan, the Rob Roy, and the Negroni.

So Vermouth Day is a way to celebrate one of the greatest cocktail ingredients of all time.  There’s no Martini Cocktail without Vermouth, there’s no Negroni without Vermouth and of course, there’s no Vermuttino without Vermouth.   Try our selection from Montanaro of Bianco, Rosso and Extra Dry.