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Cocktail History
The Stinger is a classic cocktail that was created in the United States in the 1890s. It’s made with a simple combination of Cognac, crème de menthe, and mint, and it quickly became popular among the upper class during Prohibition because the liqueur could mask the low-quality brandy available at the time.
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. The recipe calls for Cognac, but we used Driftless Glen Distillery 5 Year Reserve Brandy because it has a rich taste with notes of cherry, vanilla, and caramel. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
White Crème De Menthe: This is a liqueur made with mint leaves, sugar, and alcohol. We used DeKuyper Crème De Menthe White Liqueur because it has a cool and refreshing taste. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Torani Non-Alcoholic Crème De Menthe Syrupin place of the liqueur.
Mint Sprig: This is an herb. We used fresh Mojito mint.
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.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Tasting Notes
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This drink has a minty bite that’ll give you quite the buzz despite its size. Even though Kendall’s not a big brandy drinker, she liked the Stinger more than the Mint Julep, a similar recipe made with bourbon and mint, because it’s not as bitter. Alex thought this drink was very good and very minty, which he liked but not as much as the Julep.
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.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Fill a lowball glass with crushed ice.
Add brandy, crème de menthe, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Pour into lowball glass.
Garnish with mint sprig.
Ingredients
Directions
Fill a lowball glass with crushed ice.
Add brandy, crème de menthe, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Pour into lowball glass.
Garnish with mint sprig.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy and Torani Non-Alcoholic Crème De Menthe Syrup in place of the liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
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More Brandy Cocktails
If you like this brandy-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Cold Brew Brandy Alexander: A brandy cocktail made with cold-brew coffee liqueur, dark crème de cacao, heavy cream, and coffee beans
Enchantress: A brandy cocktail made with ruby port wine, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and a lemon peel
French Toast Flip: An Oloroso sherry, Scotch, and apple brandy cocktail made with maple syrup, allspice syrup, egg white, egg yolk, orange and fig bitters, and ground cinnamon
Elephants Sometimes Forget: A cherry brandy and gin cocktail made with lemon juice, dry vermouth, orange bitters, amaretto liqueur, and a lemon twist
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