xanto cocktail

80% Aged Cognac (2 oz Courvoisier VS)
10% Benedictine (1/2 oz + 1/8 oz Demerara Syrup)
10% Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist (express and discard).Two Sundays prior, I reached for my copy of the 1000 Misture book from 1936, and the Xanto Cocktail caught my eye. Xanto is an Italian masculine name meaning "golden", and it appeared like a Cognac Frisco Sour with bitters. Moreover, it reminded me of the Yellow Chartreuse variation of the Champs Elysées (it is technically a Green Chartreuse drink though). Shaken and strained, the Xanto blossomed with a Cognac, lemon, and herbal bouquet. Next, a lemon-driven sip ventured towards Cognac, herbal, lemon, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.