creole contentment

1 1/4 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
1 1/4 oz Madeira (equal parts Blandy's 5 Year Malmsey and Verdelho)
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

A few weeks ago, Camper English posted that the Anvil in Houston had updated their 100 Classic Cocktails list. I had made it my goal to finish the original by the end of 2009 and I succeeded; however, after Bobby Heugel swapped some drinks around either by preference or by new ingredients returning to market, I am reopening the project. The first drink I decided to try was the Creole Contentment. The recipe can be found in Charles H. Baker's Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around the World which points to the "charming hot-bed of intrigue and culture" known as New Orleans for its origin. He was given the recipe by a friend who had it as an equal parts Cognac, Maraschino, and Madeira drink; even Baker, the master of providing recipes that need tweaking, mentioned that the Maraschino should be decreased here.
Besides reducing the Maraschino, I also opted for a punchier Cognac, namely Pierre Ferrand's 1840, although a regular Cognac would still work well in this recipe. Once mixed, the Madeira aroma was sweetened by the Maraschino's cherry notes. A dry grape sip showed a hint of orange, and the Cognac on the swallow transitioned elegantly into the Maraschino on the finish.