Alabazam

Jamie Boudreau, Canon | Seattle, WA

American expatriate Leo Engel was working at the Criterion Hotel in London when he supposedly created the Alabazam, an obscure recipe that appears in his 1878 book American and Other Drinks. The drink is basically a Brandy Sour, aromatized with several dashes of bitters to highlight the citrus tang of curaçao and the spice of its unusual Armagnac base. This cognac-based version was created by Jamie Boudreau of Canon in Seattle for the modern palate that prefers a zing of bittered spice.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 1 1/2 ounces cognac
  • 1 1/2 ounces cognac
  • 1/2 ounce Cointreau
  • 1/2 ounce Cointreau
  • 1/4 ounce Angostura bitters
  • 1/4 ounce Angostura bitters
  • 1/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)

Directions
  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add ice and shake until chilled.
  3. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
  4. Marvel at the spiciness.