corpse carre

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Apple Brandy (Boulard VSOP Calvados)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.

I recently discussed with a bartender how uninspiring the Corpse Reviver No. 1 is from the Savoy Cocktail Book for it is a non-bittered two brandy Manhattan. I soon thought about how the Saratoga Cocktail from Jerry Thomas' 1862 tome was delightful, but how adding Benedictine and Peychaud's Bitters supercharged it into the Vieux Carré that people order all the time. Therefore, I wondered if the same magic would work on the Corpse Reviver No. 1? I believe my answer is yes! And I dubbed this hybrid the Corpse Carré, and there is a famous Square of the Dead in Marrakech, so the name is not so out there.
The Corpse Carré donated a lemon aroma along with fruity notes from the brandies to the nose, and this preceded a grape-driven sip. Next, Cognac leading into apple brandy on the swallow was followed by the apple brandy blending into the Benedictine herbal and Peychaud's spice flavors. Indeed, the Benedictine addition helped to tie together the flavors here, and the bitters provided a much needed structure.