Brandy Flip
A sweet and creamy brandy cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 13.9% ABV ∙
The Brandy Flip is a cognac cocktail made with sugar syrup and a whole egg, shaken until silky and served up with grated nutmeg.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 60 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg 1 pc
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with grated nutmeg
Tips
- After the shake with ice, dry shake for about 15 seconds more; whipping the egg cold makes the flip thick and frothy rather than thin and eggy.
History
The flip is first documented in England in the late 17th century, with the term in print by 1695 for a mixture of beer, rum, and sugar heated with a red-hot iron poker, which made the drink froth. Over the 18th and 19th centuries beer was dropped, eggs were added, and the hot tavern serve became a cold, shaken individual cocktail.
A cold, beaten-egg flip made with brandy or gin (or sherry) and mixed with ice rather than heated appears in the 1874 guide The American Bar-Tender; or the Art and Mystery of Mixing Drinks. Jerry Thomas's 1887 edition of The Bar-Tender's Guide included brandy, rum, gin, and whiskey flips.
FAQ
What is a Brandy Flip?
It is a classic cocktail made with cognac, sugar syrup, and a whole egg, shaken until smooth and served up in a coupe with grated nutmeg. It sits at about 14% ABV.
How do you make a Brandy Flip?
Shake cognac, sugar syrup, and a whole egg with ice to chill. Strain back into the empty shaker and dry shake without ice for about 15 seconds to whip the egg. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe and grate fresh nutmeg over the top.
What are the ingredients in a flip cocktail?
A flip is traditionally spirit, sugar, and a whole egg, shaken and served up with grated nutmeg on top. This Brandy Flip follows that structure exactly, using cognac as the spirit.
Why is it called a flip cocktail?
The origin of the name is uncertain; it is often linked to the vigorous frothing that happened when a red-hot iron was plunged into the early hot flips.
What's the difference between a flip and a nog?
A flip is a single shaken serving of spirit, sugar, and a whole egg, served up in a glass like a coupe. Eggnog is typically a larger, milk- or cream-based batch drink, often made ahead and served chilled or warm, especially around the holidays.
