leonardo

1 oz Brandy (Germain-Robin Shareholders' Reserve)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
On Thursday night, I was flipping through the 1937-era Cafe Royal Cocktail Book and spotted the Leonardo cocktail which stood out for its use of brandy and Benedictine. The only information I could find about the drink was that it was invented by Leonard Baigent; moreover, the book gave the recipe as a set of proportions which I scaled down to a 3 oz pre-melt drink. Upon tasting the drink, Andrea commented that it was "a pretty sublime drink". The Leonardo was very rich and surprisingly the brandy was not eclipsed by other the other flavors. The lemon and Benedictine liqueur were at battle in the swallow -- as the drink warmed, the citrus subsided and the herbalness of the liqueur began to take dominance.