deux fraises

1/4 jigger Cognac (3/4 oz Martel VS)
1/2 jigger Port (1 1/2 oz Ramos Pinto Ruby)
2 Strawberries
1 spoon Simple Syrup (1/8 oz homemade Gomme Syrup)

Muddle strawberries, add rest of ingredients and ice, and shake. Double strain into a cocktail glass. I added a lemon twist to the recipe.

The desire for a nightcap rolled around on Tuesday evening, and Boothby's 1934 edition of World Drinks And How To Mix Them offered up the Deux Fraises. Since our strawberries seemed a lot larger than what the original volume of spirit could handle (and my guess is that the strawberries of 1934 were much smaller than today's), I needed to adjust the recipe a bit. Given the drink's name, I felt that it would be a sin to reduce the number of strawberries, so instead I doubled the Cognac and port amounts.
The Deux Fraises turned out to have a beautiful color with a very berry aroma that went well with the lemon oil from the twist. The strawberry and port made for a magical flavor combination at the beginning of the sip, and the Cognac flavor and heat chased it on the swallow. The drink was somewhat similar to the Bloodhound although the Deux Fraises lacked the Bloodhound's complexity from the gin and vermouths.