The guys talk about the Brandy Crusta, a cocktail neither of them had ever made. Read about in Jerry Thomas’s book and Imbibe. The crusta launched a lot of cocktails, but it is a simple drink. Created as a blend of two worlds: punches, which are a combination of spirit, sweet, spice, water, served in a big bowl; and cocktails: spirit, bitter and water. Adding the lemon juice into the cocktail was the innovation. Created out of New Orleans, an amazing cocktail town. It is a brandy cocktail from the mid 19th century, a guy called Joseph Santini, was managing the bar at the New Orleans City Exchange, was responsible for adding the citrus to the cocktail. When you shake it up it really highlights the drink. The spirit becomes zesty, bright and fun. A few dashes of bitters, little gum syrup/simpler syrup, a dash of orange curacao, triple sec and some lemon juice. Taking the lemon from the juice, rubbing it on the glass and giving it a sugar rim probably is responsible for the name, the Brandy Crusta. Take the lemon peel and wrap it inside the glass. It’s got visual pizzazz, sweet and dynamic. You can use brandy or cognac. The professor Jerry Thomas went there, tried it and he put it in his first cocktail book, Bon Vivant’s Companion. The crusta made drinking more fun. Margarita came from that, the most obvious is the Side Car, minus the bitters. Some versions use Luxardo. Comes with a horse’s neck garnish, which is so much fun, you cut the lemon peel off in a circular motion and give the drink some pop. So many drinks were inspired by the Crusta! Join us for the recipe and make yourselves one for your friends, your customers, your lovers and of course for yourself.