du pont hotel

1 1/4 oz Brandy (1 3/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac)
1 oz Dry Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Oloroso + 1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, Sherry Week 2020 reminded me of a drink that was discussed on an episode of the Bartender at Large podcast called the Du Pont Hotel. The show's guest was Brian Bartels who recently wrote The United States of Cocktails book, and for Delaware, he featured this drink that was first published in Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up via said hotel in Wilmington. Using all dry sherry seemed a bit austere to balance the brandy's heat and the Angostura's bitter, so I added in a touch of sweetness from cream sherry. Once prepared, the Du Pont Hotel offered up orange oil over raisin and nutty grape aromas. Next, a semi-dry grape sip gave way to Cognac, nutty sherry, allspice, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow. My sherry-ku to support my post on Instagram was, "Ted Saucier's book/Naughty art and sherry drinks/Bottoms up, my friend."