8 Can’t-Miss Cognac Classics You Should Know (2024)

Updated 06/24/20

• Sidecar

  

  This delightful drink is perhaps today’s most famous cognac co*cktail. Classified as a sour, the combination of cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice with a sugared rim results in a perfect balance between sweet and tart. The next time you need a taste of liquid sunshine, or if you’re just starting out in the wide world of cognac co*cktails, you can’t go wrong with a Sidecar.

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• French 75

  

  Confused why this brunch staple is on the list? Well, it may often be made with gin these days, but it doesn’t have to be. There are historical instances of the recipe appearing as a mixture of cognac, lemon juice, simple syrup and Champagne. Which is better? Make both versions and decide for yourself.

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• French Connection

  

  The two-ingredient French Connection combines cognac and amaretto, and is a sibling to the classic Godfather, which calls for whiskey. The French Connection is one of the best ways to enjoy a young cognac, as the liquor adds warmth and complexity to the balancing effects of sweet, nutty amaretto. The drink, which gets its name from the 1971 Gene Hackman film, is a powerful affair that’s usually sipped after dinner as a digestif or nightcap.

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• Corpse Reviver No. 1

  

  See Also

  French Blond co*cktail

  This old-school cognac drink is a classic choice for relieving your hangover. In fact, the Corpse Reviver family of co*cktails was traditionally consumed as a hair-of-the-dog measure meant to refresh someone after a long night of drinking. While the more familiar Corpse Reviver No. 2 calls for gin, lemon, orange liqueur and Lillet Blanc with an absinthe rinse, ol’ No. 1 mixes cognac with sweet vermouth and Calvados. If you have a few, it’s potent enough to start a hangover of its own.

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  Continue to 5 of 8 below

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  You don’t have to wait for the holidays to enjoy this lush co*cktail. But you will need to prepare the Tom & Jerry batter, which combines eggs, vanilla, rum and sugar. Then, you add a little more rum, a measure of cognac and milk, and you’ve got yourself a feast in a glass—one you can sip year-round.

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• Stinger

  

  The Stinger is a simple, two-ingredient recipe that combines cognac with white crème de menthe. It’s believed to have originated in the late-1800s, and for the next few decades it was popular among the high-society crowd as an after-dinner drink. But you don’t need to be high-society or imbibing after dinner to enjoy one. Just mix your ingredients with ice and let that sweet sting wash over you.

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• Coffee co*cktail

  

  Okay, this easy-drinking co*cktail doesn’t actually contain any coffee, so your energy won't be boosted from drinking it. You will, however, get high on the rich combination of cognac, port, simple syrup and a whole egg. Put it all together, and you’ll have yourself a silky, delicious drink fortified with protein—helpful if you’ve skipped breakfast.

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• Vieux Carré

  

  This cognac-and-rye classic was invented at New Orleans’ famed Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone in the 1930s, where the drink is still served today. The Vieux Carré is a potent combination of cognac, rye whiskey, Bénédictine, sweet vermouth and bitters. Like so many classic co*cktails from the City That Care Forgot, the recipe represents the crosscurrents of America at the time: brandy and herbal liqueur from France, Italian vermouth, American rye whiskey and Caribbean bitters.The co*cktail is boozy, sweet, herbal and bitter, a New Orleans-style party in your glass.

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