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Cocktail History
The Brandywine Sour is a dessert cocktail that was created by bar manager and author Nick Mautone and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. The recipe mixes a tart citrus sour mix with brandy, homemade red wine syrup, and dessert wine, which is what makes it truly unique. It can taste drastically different depending on the type of wine used.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. We used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac because it has a rich mouthfeel and a delightful brandy spice with notes of peach, almond, and cinnamon. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
Sweet & Sour Mix: This is a sweetener made with lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Dessert Wine: This is a type of wine that has a sweet flavor and is typically served with dessert. We used Villa Bellezza Dolce Ice Wine because it’s fruity and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Fre Alcohol-Removed Moscato in place of the wine.
Red Wine Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Cabernet Sauvignon and sugar. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Tasting Notes
The Brandywine Sour features aromas of sweet white wine with a hint of pineapple followed by a sweet dessert flavor that combines a plethora of grape-alcohol flavors with the light-bodied ice wine front and center among brandy, oaky tannin, and lemon to balance.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Neither of us expected to enjoy this recipe as much as we did, but it is truly a delicious, tart delight. We don’t usually go for the idea of mixing ice wine in cocktails given how unique (and not to mention, expensive) they can be on their own, but it was incredible in this cocktail.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“When we made this drink, I was a bit dismayed to have to open our only bottle of ice wine from our wedding venue, which was a 2016 vintage. I figured one ounce of such a great dessert wine would be wasted among the other flavors, but I was wrong. The wine made all the difference in our cocktail, lending its signature crisp pineapple-like aroma to the drink and featuring its sugary notes throughout, accented by the brandy and red wine syrup. The syrup’s tannins did make it better too by helping the lemon give the drink a bit of bitter balance. I really did enjoy this recipe overall, and I think that it’s a great way to elevate a great dessert wine into a great dessert cocktail.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I don’t think this was meant to be a Valentine’s Day recipe given it came from a Christmas cocktail book, but wow, does it taste like sweeTART candy in a glass. The fruity ice wine dances across the palate and is interwoven between notes of brandy and dark red wine, and the frothiness from the sweet and sour mix is a fun addition. All in all, this is one heck of a delicious wine cocktail that is worth indulging in come time for dessert any time of the year.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.
Add brandy, sweet & sour mix, wine, red wine syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Pour into a lowball glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Add brandy, sweet & sour mix, wine, red wine syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Pour into a lowball glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy and Fre Alcohol-Removed Moscato in place of the wine to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Wine Cocktails
If you like this wine-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Mistletoe & Wine: A bourbon and port wine cocktail made with half & half, maple syrup, Amaro Braulio, black walnut bitters, and grated nutmeg
Stout Sangaree: A Irish stout beer and port wine cocktail made with nutmeg
Santa Baby: A sparkling rosé cocktail made with cranberry liqueur and cranberries
Enchantress: A brandy cocktail made with ruby port wine, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and a lemon peel
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