Brandy and Ginger Ale

The problem with having a favorite or go-to drink is that, invariably, one will find oneself in a bar or restaurant that simply can't fulfill one's needs. For instance, my favorite spirits-based drink is a Sazerac but experience has taught me that a poorly made rendition is worse than none at all. The same is true of juice based drinks. The Last Word is a simply brilliant cocktail (equal parts gin, green chartreuse, Maraschino and lime juice) but most bars lack either one of the ingredients or the skill not to destroy it. A dear friend of mine solved this problem by making his go-to drink a Bourbon and Coke. In fact, while he will drink and review other drinks, a Bourbon and Coke is his favorite. And it's a fine thing but when I drink, I usually want something that plays just a little harder to get in terms of flavor.

When James Bond waits in the airport for the SwissAir Caravelle airplane (model number unknown)  to take him to his fateful rendezvous with Blofeld in the Swiss Alps in Chapter 9 of On Her Majesty's Secret Service he does the sensible thing: Instead of ordering a Vesper or even a Vodka Martini, he drinks something any airport bar could make; a brandy and ginger ale.

To be honest, I was rather dreading this particular entry. I couldn't imagine the brandy would do anything more than give a solid kick to the ginger ale so I wracked my brains trying to think of a way to make the drink more interesting. Perhaps, I thought, an older recipe might shed some light on this. I searched my recipe books and even looked online. I found a Brandy Cooler and Brandy Highball, both of which fit the description but also included a bit of lemon peel for garnish. Unfortunately, Ian Fleming gives no clue to the recipe; only that Bond (being 007) orders a double. Two doubles, actually. One can't help but wonder if all the doubles he orders are simply to compliment his license to kill.

Since I could find no real consensus in traditional cocktail books, I did what (out of respect) I never do. I turned to David Leigh's beautifully researched book The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond and adapted his recipe for my own purposes.

The Brandy & Ginger Ale as I made it means filling a rocks glass with ice and adding:

• 2 oz. Courvoisier V.S.O.P. - The use of cognac is not merely snobbery; cognacs typically have more flavor than a standard brandy. Also, I like to imagine both Ian Fleming and James Bond would approve.
• Ginger ale. I filled the rest of the glass with the stuff. Probably 8 ounces. In the spirit of going with what an airport bar might have, I used Canada Dry for my first attempt which, in my part of the world, is more soda pop than mixer. The bottle I used was made of green plastic and had a picture of Captain America on the front. I'm not sure but I believe I just heard Ian Fleming tossing in his grave as I typed that.

Leave it at that and you have a surprisingly sophisticated and delightful drink not entirely unlike a somewhat simpler Brandy and Benedictine in terms of flavor but with a refreshing and effervescent quality that does not diminish over much as the ice melts and dilutes the mixture. The brandy (cognac) which often gets a little lost in cocktails for its more restrained qualities, plays a starring role in the glass with the ginger ale serving to open it up and compliment it. While this could easily be my new airport bar go-to drink I (being myself) still felt it could do with just a touch of interest. I added:

• 4 goodly dashes of The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters.
• Twist of lemon

Unlike a spice or citrus driven bitter, the subtler vegetal quality of the celery bitters doesn't come across at first but it lends the finish just a hint of savory funk and the very slight bitter flavor helps dial back the sweetness of the soda and ground the drink which helps as the ice melts. If you've been reading my blog, you know I enjoy a little funk; I believe it's the key to appreciating old world flavors and is all too rare in modern cuisine. If you find the celery bitters in a Brandy & Ginger Ale are not to your taste, you can always use them to enhance a Bloody Mary. The lemon twist is more for the nose of the drink. Lemon and ginger are brilliant bedfellows and if you replace the soda-pop ginger ale with something elegant like the ginger ale from Fever Tree and add the celery bitters, you will have yourself a real cocktail.

The lesson, if there is one, is to field test every drink, no matter how simplistic the recipe may seem on the surface. The Brandy and Ginger Ale is a very strong entry to the cannon of mixed drinks blessed (or at least imbibed) by James Bond. And, because it is a long drink, it's less likely to leave you incapacitated in potentially dangerous situations. Unless you order two doubles to compliment your secret service code number. That's pure silliness, of course, but it might just steady your nerves enough to get off a clean shot.