rocket

2/3 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
2 dash Swedish Punsch (1/2 oz Homemade, Ellestad recipe)
2 dash Sweet Vermouth (1/2 oz Vya)
1 dash Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Amer Picon)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist.

Two Fridays ago, we started the evening with a drink from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 called the Rocket. While rockets had existed since 13th century China, the rocketry in the news during the book's time period would revolve around Dr. Robert Goddard. While his tinkering with rocketry started when he was a student, Goddard acquired two patents in 1914 -- one for a rocket using liquid fuel and the other for a multi-stage rocket using solid fuel. Sadly, his 1920 report declaring the feasibility of landing a rocket on the moon was met with much derision from the press. The ridicule greatly effected him; however, it did not deter him from launching a liquid fuel rocket in 1926 amongst other later feats including launching scientific equipment to high altitude and working out guidance systems over 34 rocket launches and 214 patents.
I felt that the Rocket's recipe could use a citrus twist and I opted for an orange one to complement the Amer Picon, although a lemon one would work too to accent the Swedish Punsch instead. The twist thus started the drink off with an orange aroma that flowed into a darker orange flavor from the Picon coupled with the vermouth's grape in the sip. The Swedish Punsch's aged rum and funky Batavia Arrack notes paired well with the Cognac ones in the swallow, and the Punsch's spice and tea tannins rounded out the aftertaste.