mystic marvel

1/4 Brandy (3/4 oz Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)
1/4 Calvados (3/4 oz Morin Selection)
1/4 Drambuie (3/4 oz)
1/4 Lime Juice (3/4 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

After having Bergamot's Assembly Cocktail, I was reminded of a drink I spotted earlier in the week in the 1934 drink book 1700 Cocktails for the Man Behind the Bar. The drink was called the Mystic Marvel; with brandy, Drambuie, and citrus (albeit one with lemon and the other with lime), the last equal part component here was Calvados instead of the Assembly's sherry. The name Mystic Marvel was rather curious and I could only surmised that it was named after a famous magician during that time period, a William Alma a/k/a the Great Pharos, the Mystic Marvel. Whether or not Alma's fame would have spread enough to capture the attention of the creator of the recipe, the drink still remains an interesting trick.
The orange oils from the twist worked well with the Mystic Marvel's lime and Drambuie nose. The sip contained lime, apple, and honey flavors, and the swallow presented brandy and Drambuie's Scotch elements that ended with additional lime notes. Even with the Drambuie's sweetness, the Mystic Marvel's balance was pleasingly on the crisp side of things.