Brandy Fix
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 17.8% ABV ∙
The Brandy Fix is a short drink of cognac, pineapple and lemon juice, sugar syrup and a touch of herbal liqueur, shaken and served over crushed ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 60 mlPineapple juice 15 mlLemon juice 15 mlSugar syrup 10 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) 5 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake hard with plenty of ice for a full 12-15 seconds; pineapple juice needs a vigorous shake to turn frothy.
- Strain onto fresh crushed ice rather than fine-straining into an empty glass. The slow melt is part of how a fix drinks.
History
The Fix belongs to a family of 19th-century mixed drinks built on a base spirit, citrus, and a sweetener, served over crushed ice. The category was established enough by the 1860s that Jerry Thomas included Fixes alongside Cobblers, Crustas, Sours, Slings, and Smashes in his 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks, one of the first published American bartending manuals. The Brandy Fix is a specific member of this style, using brandy as its base spirit. A widely cited early printed recipe for the Brandy Fix appears in Harry Johnson's New and Improved Bartender's Manual, in its 1888 edition.
Fixes were popular through the 19th century before falling out of favor as Sours, Fizzes, and other styles came to dominate bartending in the following decades.
FAQ
What is a fix cocktail?
An old style of short drink: a base spirit, citrus juice and sugar, often with a fruit juice or liqueur, shaken and served over crushed or cracked ice. It sits between a sour and a punch: fruitier and looser than a sour, but mixed as a single drink rather than by the bowl.
What is a Brandy Fix?
A shaken drink of 60 ml cognac, 15 ml pineapple juice, 15 ml lemon juice and 10 ml sugar syrup, served over crushed ice in an old-fashioned glass. This recipe adds 5 ml of herbal liqueur, such as Yellow Chartreuse, for an herbal edge against the fruit.
Is a Brandy Fix shaken or stirred?
Shaken, hard, for a full 12-15 seconds. The pineapple juice needs a vigorous shake to turn frothy; stirred, the drink would be flat and under-mixed.
What glass is a Brandy Fix served in?
An old-fashioned glass, filled with crushed ice and garnished with an expressed lemon twist.
