Discover the world of simple brandy cocktails with our seven delightful recipes. From classic concoctions to innovative twists, these drinks showcase the versatility of brandy as a key ingredient.
Whether you’re a fan of fruity, spicy, or creamy flavors, there’s a brandy cocktail here to suit every taste. Join us as we explore these enticing creations, perfect for any occasion.
BLACKJACK
Strong morning coffee or a stiff happy hour drink? Why choose when you can have the best of both worlds? Instead of kirsch (cherry brandy), plain brandy is used with sugar-free cherry flavoring to keto-fy this drink.
This recipe is written to serve the cocktail icy cold, but you can easily make it a hot drink for nippy days by skipping the ice and using standard drip coffee.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces brandy
- 1½ ounces unsweetened cold brew coffee
- ½ teaspoon cherry water flavoring
- Lemon twist, for garnish
TOOLS: highball glass, shaker, jigger, paring knife
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill a glass with ice. Fill a shaker with ice and add the brandy, coffee, and cherry flavoring. Shake well and strain into the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
PREP TIP: When cold brew coffee is unavailable, hot brewed coffee is a fair swap. Just be sure to chill it first to prevent the ice from melting too quickly if you’re serving the recipe as a cold drink.
CHERRY BLOSSOM
Cherry cocktail flavors can be challenging to accomplish without racking up carbs. Sugar-free flavorings must be used in place of the kirsch and high-sugar maraschino cherries in the original. In this recipe, cherry water flavoring delivers the tart, cherry kick, but unsweetened extracts and flavored concentrates can yield similar results.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces brandy
- ½ ounce Low-Carb Orange Liqueur
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cherry water flavoring
- 1 dash pomegranate water flavoring
TOOLS: shaker, jigger, citrus squeezer, strainer, cocktail glass (chilled)
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill a shaker with ice and add the brandy, orange liqueur, lemon juice, cherry flavoring, and pomegranate flavoring and mix well. Strain into a
glass.
VARIATION: Though this drink is traditionally made with brandy, bourbon is an excellent substitute spirit in this recipe. Unsweetened pomegranate juice can replace the pomegranate water flavoring if needed.
BRANDY ALEXANDER
If you’re a fan of dessert-like drinks, look no further—this drink is sinful decadence served in a glass. Dark crème de cacao liqueur is a staple in the traditional cocktail, but that syrupy-sweet ingredient drives the carb content up. Not a problem. Mix a little bit of cream, cacao, and vanilla extract with a low-carb simple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Cognac or unflavored brandy of choice
- 1½ ounces heavy (whipping) cream
- ½ ounce Low-Carb Simple Syrup
- ¼ teaspoon unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Nutmeg, grated or ground, for garnish
TOOLS: shaker, jigger, strainer, cocktail glass (chilled)
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill a shaker with ice and add the Cognac, cream, simple syrup, cacao powder, and vanilla. Shake well and strain into a glass. Garnish with nutmeg.
VARIATION: If you don’t have powdered cacao or cocoa on hand, chocolate extract is another option—just reduce the volume to ⅛ teaspoon.
JACK ROSE
Unconventional keto-friendly substitutes are used in this recipe to capture the flavors of this classic cocktail while keeping carbs in check. Applejack, a carb-loaded apple brandy, is replaced with a combination of unflavored grape brandy and sugar-free apple flavoring, and grenadine is traded for pomegranate water flavoring.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces brandy
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 or 2 drops pomegranate water flavoring
- 1 or 2 drops unsweetened apple liquid concentrate, extract, or water flavoring
- 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
- Lemon twist, for garnish
TOOLS: shaker, jigger, citrus squeezer, strainer, cocktail glass (chilled), paring knife
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill a shaker with ice and add the brandy, lemon juice, pomegranate water, apple flavoring, and bitters and shake well.
- Strain into a glass.
- Twist the lemon over the drink, wipe the rim with the lemon, and drop it into the glass.
VARIATION: Peychaud’s bitters may be swapped for Angostura bitters, or any other bitters you may have on hand. The effect will be similar, though the spices in each will subtly alter the taste. If needed, unsweetened pomegranate juice can replace the pomegranate water flavoring.
SIDECAR
This classic brandy sour highlights the robust, spicy Cognac base with the perfect sweet-to-tart ratio. Traditionally built with high-carb Cointreau, this recipe puts low-carb orange liqueur to work in its place. And of course, the sugar rim is anything but . . . instead, crystallized allulose sweetens the lip, though you can omit the garnish if you prefer.
Ingredients
- Lemon wedge, for garnish (optional)
- Crystallized allulose or sweetener of choice, for garnish (optional)
- 1½ ounces Cognac or unflavored brandy
- ¾ ounce Low-Carb Orange Liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Lemon twist, for garnish
TOOLS: paring knife, small plate, cocktail glass (chilled), jigger, citrus squeezer, shaker, strainer
Instructions:
- If desired, rim a glass: Moisten the rim of a glass with the lemon and dip the rim into the allulose; set aside.
- Fill a shaker with ice and add the Cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice and shake well.
- Strain into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
VARIATION: Make it a Boston Sidecar by switching the lemons for limes and adding a shot of white or silver rum.
PISCO SOUR
This classic cocktail is made with pisco, a grape brandy with a distinct, light, and fruity taste—unlike the spicy, bitter flavors found in other brandies, such as Cognac. When mixed with a bit of citrus, sweetener, and egg whites? Two words: frothy perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pisco brandy
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce Low-Carb Simple Syrup
- 1 large egg white
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
TOOLS: shaker, jigger, strainer, citrus squeezer, sour glass or cocktail glass (chilled)
Instructions:
- Combine the pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a shaker.
- Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
- Add ice and shake again.
- Strain into a glass and carefully decorate the foam surface with a drop of bitters to garnish.
PREP TIP:
For best results, be sure to do the double shake, once without ice and once with. Shaking ingredients without ice is called a “dry shake.”
When you do this with egg whites, the technique fully incorporates the components and at the same time aerates the egg protein. The shaken egg whites give the drink its thick foam, and dry shaking it first yields a more uniform, frothy texture. (If using raw egg whites is out of your comfort zone, consider opting for powdered egg whites instead to achieve the same airy, whipped consistency.)
CORPSE REVIVER
This aptly named cocktail was initially developed to ward off hangovers, to be enjoyed the morning after a long night of drinking, in pure “hair of the dog that bit you” fashion. Traditionally made with sweet vermouth and applejack or Calvados, we opt for dry vermouth, apple flavoring, and sweetener to pull off the flavors.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces brandy
- ¾ ounce dry vermouth
- 1 teaspoon crystallized allulose or sweetener of choice
- 1 or 2 drops unsweetened apple flavor liquid concentrate, extract, or water flavoring
TOOLS: mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, strainer, cocktail glass (chilled)
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the brandy, vermouth, allulose, and apple flavoring. Stir well and strain into a glass.
PREP TIP:
- Apple-flavored liquid concentrate may be a challenge to find while you’re out grocery shopping, but online retailers carry the ingredient, as well as many big-box retailers.
- Liquid concentrates and extracts can be a great way to flavor spirits without the added carbs. They are also much more budget-friendly than stocking your bar with a variety of flavored spirits. Liquid water flavorings, like MiO, work great, too!
