Brandy Crusta
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.5% ABV ∙
The Brandy Crusta stirs brandy with maraschino, orange curaçao, lemon juice, sugar syrup and bitters, served in a sugar-crusted glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Prepare a slim cocktail glass: rub the rim with an orange (or lemon) slice and dip it into pulverized white sugar
- Carefully line the inside of the glass with a curled orange (or lemon) peel
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Brandy 50 mlMaraschino liqueur 7 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 1 bspLemon juice 15 mlSugar syrup 1 bspAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the prepared glass
Tips
- Keep the sugar on the outside of the rim, so the drinker decides how much sweetness each sip picks up.
- Cut the orange or lemon peel wide and long enough to line the inside of the glass; its oil coats the drink as you sip.
History
The Brandy Crusta is credited to Joseph Santini, an Italian-born bartender in New Orleans who worked at the City Exchange before opening his own bar, Jewel of the South, in 1855. Sources place the drink's invention sometime in the 1840s to 1850s, with a common estimate of around 1850 or 1852 — likely during his time at the City Exchange, given that Jewel of the South had not yet opened.
It took its name from the crust of sugar rimmed around the glass, paired with a long spiral of lemon peel lining the interior, an embellishment on the earlier plain "cocktail." Jerry Thomas gave it its first printed recipe in his 1862 guide, known alternately as How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion and The Bar-Tender's Guide. He identified the creator only as "Santina," a "celebrated Spanish caterer" — a spelling and nationality later corrected by historians to Joseph Santini, an Italian immigrant.
The Crusta is regarded by cocktail historians as one of the earliest drinks to combine a base spirit with citrus juice, sugar, and bitters in a single glass, a structure that later gave rise to the Sidecar. It remains an IBA-listed official cocktail today.
FAQ
What is a Brandy Crusta?
A classic New Orleans brandy cocktail, stirred and served in a sugar-rimmed glass lined with a curl of citrus peel.
What is in a Brandy Crusta?
50 ml brandy, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 7 ml maraschino liqueur, a barspoon each of orange curaçao and sugar syrup, and two dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters.
How do you make a Brandy Crusta?
Rim a cocktail glass with sugar and line the inside with a curled orange or lemon peel. Stir the brandy, maraschino, curaçao, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and bitters with ice, then strain into the prepared glass.
What makes a Brandy Crusta unique?
Its sugar-crusted rim and the citrus peel lining the glass. The crust gives each sip a sweet edge before you taste the brandy, and it gave the drink its name.
What is the difference between a Sidecar and a Brandy Crusta?
A Sidecar is brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice, shaken and served in a glass that may have a sugared rim. The Brandy Crusta adds maraschino and aromatic bitters, is stirred instead of shaken, and comes in a glass lined with citrus peel.
