stinger

1/2 jigger Brandy (2 1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac)
1/2 jigger Crème de Menthe (Tempus Fugit)
1 peel Lemon

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After writing up the Flashbang, it dawned on me that I have never written up the classic Stinger despite making variations such as the Midnight Stinger. I turned to the earliest recipe that I have in my library under that name which is from Jacques Straub's 1914 book Drinks. I adapted the equal parts recipe to the 3:1 ratio that we utilized when we had the Stinger on the menu at Russell House Tavern in 2014 (not including the lemon peel in the shake that Straub preferred). As for the history, I turned to The Oxford Companion to Cocktails & Spirits where it was described as "the king of after-dinner cocktails" that gained popularity through millionaire playboy Reginald Vanderbuilt's making them for his friends. The combination first appeared in 1890 but won out with the catchy here name perhaps referring to a quick jab to the head in boxing in 1913; that earliest reference was in John Applegreen's book Applegreen's Bar Book: Or how to Mix Drinks. The Stinger is unusual for it is one of the few straight spirits recipes that is shaken to induce a greater chill and dilution. Its popularity went from the clubmen and debutantes at the beginning of the century to World War II fighter pilots during the 1940s before drifting out of favor in the 1970s.Once prepared, the Stinger came at the nose with a Cognac, lemon, and mint aroma. Next, a light caramel sip set up a Cognac and mint swallow with a lemony finish. I commented on my Instagram that the lemon peel in the shake was indeed a nice touch by providing some extra depth and dimension.