brandy julep no. 2

1/2 bar glass Brandy (2 oz Pedro Domecq Brandy de Jerez)
Juice 1/2 Orange (1 oz Orange Juice)
1 tsp Sugar
2 dash Crème de Vanilla or Cacao (1/4 oz Navan, 1/4 oz Marie Brizard Crème de Cacao)

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass. Ornament with fruit and mint, and serve with straws.

Two Tuesdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with a recipe I spotted in the Wild West Bartenders' Bible from Louis' Mixed Drinks from 1906 called the Brandy Julep #2. Here, the mint in the Julep was ornamental and perhaps the flavored syrup to make it a Julep was from the vanilla and/or chocolate. While not as distant from the classic Mint Julep as the mint-free Pineapple Julep, I have definitely made and had my share of non-muddled mint (but garnished with mint) Juleps such as the Pontarlier and Cynar Juleps where there was already some herbal element in the mix.
The Brandy Julep proffered a mint and orange aroma. A sweet floral orange sip gave way to sherry brandy flavors on the swallow and an elegant vanilla and chocolate finish.