vanilla brandy flip

2 oz Pliska Preslav 5 Year Bulgarian Brandy
1 oz Vanilla Syrup
2 dash Aromatic Bitters
1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
For my second drink at Deep Ellum on Sunday, I decided to end the evening with the Vanilla Brandy Flip. Given the name, the drink seemed pretty straight forward, but the use of an aged Bulgarian brandy did surprise me. The pairing of brandy and vanilla is a classical one and harkens back to the 19th century (if not earlier) such as with Jerry Thomas' Vanilla Punch from 1862 and the Lalla Rookh. Like most traditional flips, the Vanilla Brandy Flip presented itself with a nutmeg aroma from the garnish. On the sip, caramel notes from the brandy's barrel aging paired splendidly with the egg's creamy richness. Moreover, the richness continued on the swallow with the brandy and vanilla notes. Overall, the drink was sweet and desserty but complex, especially with the bitters on the swallow that were later joined by nutmeg notes as the garnish integrated into the drink's flavor over time.