First, just a reminder that Sunday, October 31st, 2010, is our monthly exercise in folly, Savoy Cocktail Book Night at Alembic Bar. If any of the cocktails on this blog have captured your fancy, stop by after 6 and allow the skilled bartenders (and me) to make them for you. It is always a fun time.

Valencia Cocktail (No. 2)
4 Dashes Orange Bitters. (4 dashes Angustura Orange Bitters)
1/3 Orange Juice. (3/4 oz Fresh Orange Juice)
2/3 Apricot Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Brizard Apry Liqueur)
Shake well, strain into medium size glass, and fill with Champagne (Cavas Hill Cava). (Long Orange Peel Garnish.)

Hm, there really is the kernel of a good drink here, but this is far, far too sweet.

Let’s re-imagine this just a bit:

4 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
3/4 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Brizard Apry
3/4 oz Chateau Pellehaut Armagnac
Cava

Ah, now that is much better, in fact pretty close to delicious and recommendable. Definitely an improvement over your bog standard Mimosa or Bellini. Brunch with a kick.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.