Almond Blossom Crusta

Light, tart, candied lemon and almonds

1 Cognac

⅓ Gin

⅔ Lemon Juice

½ Orgeat

Shake well and strain into a flute.

Set a lemon peel around the inside of the rim of the glass and add sugar to the rim. Allow the sugar and lemon to harden, forming a ‘crust.’

Serving as a riff on the original Brandy Crusta, the Almond Blossom Crusta was first featured in The South American Gentleman’s Companion, written by the legendary Charles H. Baker Jr. in 1951. This book is not to be confused with his 1939 volumes of “The Gentleman’s Companion”, though those books are some of the finest among cocktail encyclopaedias in this era. In addition to his knowledge of mixed drinks and forays into unique and exotic cocktails, he held his own as a writer; being close friend and drinking companion of the greats Hemingway and Faulkner. He recounted tales of travelling the world and their exploits on either side of the bar in his books, though his efforts were far better recognised in those than his notably brief stint as a novelist.

The Almond Blossom Crusta removes both the Triple Sec and Maraschino Liqueur found in the Brandy Crusta and instead opts to fortify the beverage with gin, in addition to the base of Brandy. It also is sweetened with Orgeat – a form of simple syrup including almonds and either rose or orange blossom water – which alludes to the floral and nutty flavours in the drink. It is also served with the infamous Crusta garnish – which uses a thick cut peel of lemon, in essence replacing the rim of the glass, using a ‘crust’ of sugar to adhere the peel to the rim.