One of the most popular (and historic) drink categories is the sour—a basic formula that combines a base spirit with fresh citrus juice and sugar. Originally published as a Daisy style cocktail by Jerry Thomas in the 1870s, the combo is often enhanced with the use of a liqueur as the sweetener to offset lemon or lime. Classic examples include the Margarita which uses orange liqueur and lime paired with tequila. This is just a couple swaps away from its predecessor, the Sidecar which is essentially the same drink only with lemon and Cognac. Yet, the Alabazam is a brandy version that predates the Sidecar by almost 40 years.

In addition to being a pre-Prohibition classic, the Alabazam has something very unusual for a Daisy, or any cocktail for that matter: a large proportion of cocktail bitters. Bitters like Angostura are typically doled out in tiny amounts because they are intensely flavored, intentionally bitter, and considered “undrinkable” on their own. This is perfect for adding a boost of flavor to season a drink with spices since a few dashes are all that is required and that’s not enough to make a whole cocktail bitter. It’s different from Italian amaro which is meant for consumption in similar proportions to other ingredients. In the Alabazam we treat Angostura like a potable amaro!

Alabazam
1.5 oz brandy
.5 oz Cointreau
.25 oz Angostura Bitters
.25 oz lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup

Shake with ice to chill, then strain into a chilled, petite cocktail glass.

This isn’t the first time we have used more than the typical amount of Angostura in a recipe. The Angostura Sour takes this idea to the extreme. Here, we get the intensity of the spices and some of that bitterness while still enjoying a delicious spirit. We might recommend a good Cognac for this, but we opted for something even better. At our local outdoor market last week we met Chris and Suzie, founders of Journey Distilled, a local spirit producer that is using grape distillate from the Pacific Northwest. Their flagship product is a fantastic vodka but they recently released an XO brandy. Naturally, we picked up a bottle—number 24 of their first batch!

Living in wine country, you would think a lot more distillers would be taking advantage of the great brandy-making opportunities of the Willamette Valley and Columbia River regions. But you don’t see that. We’re glad Journey Distilled is making the most of the local viticulture and willing to put their precious spirit into barrels for so long. The result is a brandy that is as smooth as their vodka with an amber hue and a spiciness more akin to a good rye whiskey, yet richer and luxurious. It’s nice on its own and has plenty of flavor to work well in a cocktail. Brandy is underrated these days and a boom of interest and popularity seems long overdue

As sours go, this is an enjoyable classic that is rich and layered. If you have ever sipped a Sidecar but wished you had opted for a whiskey drink or something with a bitter slant, this is a nice option. The heavy-handed cocktail bitters does add some bitterness in this rare case, but the spices and base spirit are what makes this drink special. We often like sours more acidic than sweet, but we are using Boudreau/Canon proportions here and it is well-balanced. It also seems to improve as it warms.