commodore perry

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VO)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat (Ferrara Orzata)
2 oz Champagne (Gruet Brut)

Shake all but champagne with ice and strain into coupe glass. Top with champagne.

On Sunday night, I wanted to make an after dinner drink and flipped through the Food and Wine: Cocktails 2008 book until I found the Commodore Perry. This recipe was created at Please Don't Tell (P.D.T.) in Manhattan and is their variation on or homage to the classic Japanese cocktail. The text describes, "This version of pioneering mixologist Jerry Thomas's classic Japanese Cocktail takes its name from Matthew C. Perry, an American naval officer whose Pacific voyages in the 1850s held secure U.S. trade relations with Japan."

This version was not as dry as the original Japanese with a half ounce of orgeat in the mix instead of two dashes. While the crispness of our brut champagne helped to dry out this drink, it was still on the sweet side. The P.D.T. recipe also adds the element of pineapple juice. While the pineapple blended in quite well with the rest of the ingredients, the almond and sparkling wine flavors seemed to dominate over the pineapple ones. Overall, the Commodore Perry served as a good dessert drink with plenty of sweet rich flavors complemented by the playfulness of the wine's bubbles.