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Cocktail History
The Suffragette is a modern cocktail that was first published in The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante. Although several drinks of the same name exist, this is a simple variation of the Sidecar that swaps out orange liqueur for white crème de cacao. According to the book, it was named for the brave women who fought for the right to vote a hundred years ago.
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.
White Crème De Cacao: This is a liqueur made with white chocolate, vanilla, sugar, and alcohol. We used DeKuyper Crème De Cacao White because it has a delightful white chocolate flavor and is affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium White Chocolate Syrup in place of the white chocolate liqueur.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Sugar: This is a sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrate. We used C&H Pure Cane Granulated Sugar.
Lemon Wedge: This is a lemon slice that has been cut into a wedge shape.
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.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Suffragette features brandy and citrus aromas, the initial sweet taste of the sugar followed by brandy and citrus, and light notes of chocolate on the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: When we made The Suffragette, we actually substituted the Cognac for Armagnac, and even with that change, it was brighter and more citrusy than we expected—not sweet at all but still delicious to both of our very different palates.

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 Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante.
Pour sugar onto a plate, rub outer rim of glass with lemon wedge, and roll glass in sugar until coated.
Add brandy, white crème de cacao, lemon juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour sugar onto a plate, rub outer rim of glass with lemon wedge, and roll glass in sugar until coated.
Add brandy, white crème de cacao, lemon juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy and Monin Premium White Chocolate Syrup in place of the white chocolate liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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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

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

Enchantress: A brandy cocktail made with ruby port wine, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and a lemon peel

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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