CFIT is an aviation acronym that stands for "controlled flight into terrain."  It's a benign sounding term for a catastrophic event -- a type of crash.  The Burnt Fuselage is a creation from Chuck Kerwood, a fighter pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron mostly composed of American volunteers who flew for France in World War I. Kerwood survived the war, and the Burnt Fuselage lives on thanks to advocates such as cocktail historian and author David Wondrich.

1 ounce cognac or brandy
1 ounce dark triple sec, preferably French
1 ounce dry vermouth, preferably French

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with joyous relief of not being part of a burnt fuselage, and strain into a chilled glass.  Lemon peel garnish optional.

Despite its ominous name, the Burnt Fuselage is a lively drink. It shares no cocktail DNA with other aviation themed cocktails such as the Paper Plane and the Pan Am Clipper. Given the Burnt Fuselage's history, it's appropriate to use all French spirits. In discussing torched Dutch grapes we learned all cognac is brandy, but all brandy isn't cognac. Definitely use a darker triple sec (blending orange liqueur with cognac) such as Grand Marnier.  Even though I'm a big fan of Cointreau, a clear triple sec I use in drinks such as the Margarita and my Orange Satchmo, my experiment using it in the Burnt Fuselage sort of went down in flames (pun intended).

If you see fit (get it? if not, say it out loud) to try a Burnt Fuselage, you'll be a cocktail ace.

Who knew being a DJ is like being a bartender? I never thought about it until Ms. Cocktail Den and I attended an event hosted by D'Ussé cognac at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Whether they're professionals or amateurs (or as I described myself during the event, a professional amateur) DJs and bartenders are artists. One has music as their medium and the other has cocktails.

The first part of the event was about the music.  9th Wonder, a big time hip hop record producer and DJ, spoke about DJing and laid down a few beats. I must confess I had not heard of him, but I certainly have heard of many of the artists with whom he's worked, e.g. Beyoncé and Ludacris. Along with Jay Clipp, a nationally known DJ, 9th Wonder showed what goes into spinning records (or audio files on a computer) and creating some great music. It's a lot harder than it looks. The presentation was really interesting, even for someone like me who has very little knowledge of hip hop and no musical talent. Ms. Cocktail Den, who has musical talent, thought the connections are fascinating.

The second part of the event focused on D'Ussé cognac and using it in drinks. Everyone stood at tables, each of which had glasses of D'Ussé and bar tools such as mixing glasses, jiggers, and shakers. First Colin Asare-Appiah, the dynamic D'Ussé brand ambassador, had us taste the cognac.  It's quite good and pretty smooth.  The brand has a music connection, as rapper and producer Jay-Z is a part owner.

Mixing the Les Bon Temps Roulé ( 2 ounces D'Ussé cognac, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 1/2 ounce allspice dram, 2 dashes tiki bitters, orange peel garnish -- I thought the result was too sweet).

After tasting the cognac, Colin presented everyone with a challenge -- create a cocktail using D'Ussé as the base spirit in five minutes. Everyone had access to other possible ingredients including a small selection of other spirits, syrups, citrus, and bitters.  I admit I got flustered, in large part because most people in the room were highly accomplished professional bartenders. For example, the people standing behind us were from Le Syndicat, a Tales nominee for the best International Cocktail Bar.  Ms. Cocktail Den and I persevered. Our spur of the moment creation, the Les Bon Temps Roulé ("the good times roll" in French, "let the good times roll" is an unofficial slogan in New Orleans), didn't turn out quite as well I would have hoped (recipe is in the photo caption). Nonetheless, merci to D'Ussé for a great experience. We got to learn things, create a cocktail, and meet fun and interesting people such as Kapri Robinson and Josh Davis. I even got an offer to do a guest bartending gig; I'm still not sure if he was serious.

So what some of the parallels between mixing records and mixing drinks?

1.   As Colin astutely noted, the standard four count in music is akin to the four components of a cocktail -- spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. The spirit is the beat. You want it to be consistent and noticeable, but not overwhelming.

2.  Mixing records is like mixing drinks. If you mix records abruptly, the effect is jarring. 9th Wonder and Jay Clipp described it as "shoes in the dryer" or "trainwrecking." An unbalanced drink has the same effect on your taste buds as trainwrecking has on your ears.

3.  What's old is new again. Samples from 1970s records appear in a lot of modern music hits. 9th Wonder used a snippet from a Beyonce song to illustrate this point. Similarly, cocktails from pre-Prohibition and Prohibition eras increasingly appear on modern drink menus. The rediscovery of various spirits and recipes have inspired people to create current spins on older cocktails.

Are you ready to be a DJ of drinks? I know you are. Let the good times roll!

I've never been to Newark (only through it), but I've repeatedly heard it is not one of New Jersey's highlights.  That didn't stop Jim Meehan and John Deragon at PDT in New York City from creating a cocktail in its honor. Just as the locations aren't far from each other, the Newark is not far removed from a Manhattan. Tony Soprano would like the Newark because most or all of its ingredients come from New Jersey and Italy.  Am I good with that?  Fuggedaboudit.

2 ounces Laird's apple brandy or applejack
1 ounce sweet vermouth
.25 ounces Fernet Branca
.25 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the resoluteness of being Jersey tough, and strain into a chilled glass (preferably a coupe).

Laird's, which originated in New Jersey, makes apple brandy and applejack. When you compare apples to apples, you see the historical and modern differences between the spirits. Add the sweet vermouth (much of which comes from Italy) and the Fernet Branca and Luxardo maraschino liqueur (both of which come from Italy), and you have one great cocktail. Want some accompanying music from some real Jersey boys?  I suggest Frank Sinatra (you might associate him with New York, but he was born and raised in New Jersey) or Bon Jovi.

As anyone who's seen the musical or movie Jersey Boys would tell you, big girls (and boys) don't cry.  They drink Newarks.

Syncopation is a musical term that refers to stressing an offbeat note.  In 1919 the iconic American songwriter Irving Berlin (his canon includes such classics as "God Bless America," "Puttin on the Ritz," and "White Christmas") wrote "A Syncopated Cocktail." There was no such cocktail at the time, but presumably the song inspired the drink. Harry McElhone, who introduced the Boulevardier to the world, included the Syncopation in his 1927 book.

1 ounce brandy
.5 ounces Cointreau
.5 ounces apple brandy
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with the "jazzy melody" Berlin mentioned in the song, and strain into a chilled glass.

If you like a Sidecar or Corpse Reviver #1, you'll like the Syncopation. It appears the Syncopation traditionally called for Cognac as the brandy and Calvados as the apple brandy (Cognac is a torched Dutch grape from a particular place, and the same goes for Calvados, which is part of the Flower of Normandy). McElhone was in Paris when he came up with the Syncopation, so I figure he would have had easy access to French spirits.  Speaking of French spirits, you don't have to use Cointreau (my favorite triple sec), but you should use an orange liqueur. If you want an American spirit in the mix, use brandy from Copper & Kings or Laird's.

To take a line from the song, the Syncopation is fascinating and intoxicating. Now go make some cocktail music of your own.

Yes, this cocktail has an odd name.  No, I do not know the widow for whom the drink is named.  No one does. The Widow's Kiss first appeared in a 1895 book from George Kappeler, an esteemed New York City bartender. Many thanks to the Alley Cat Lounge in Savannah for introducing me to this liquid smooch.

The Widow's Kiss at Alley Cat Lounge is intriguing, flavorful, strong, and not deadly.

1.5 ounces apple brandy or applejack
.75 ounces yellow Chartreuse
.75 ounces Benedictine DOM
1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the solemn grace of a famous widow such as Jackie Kennedy, and strain into a chilled glass. Luxardo cherry garnish optional.

The Widow's Kiss is a well balanced mix of power and sweetness. Using apple brandy instead of applejack (Laird's makes both, and you can compare apples to apples) gives you a stronger apple flavor.  I recommend using yellow Chartreuse, a component of cocktails such as the Alaska and the Cloister, because it's less likely to overwhelm the Widow's Kiss.  If you want to use green Chartreuse, a part of cocktails such as the Last Word or the Bijou, use no more than .5 ounces because it's higher proof.  There is no real substitute for the Benedictine DOM, a part of my original Whiskey Queen.

Are you curious about the Widow's Kiss?  Curiosity may kill the proverbial cat, but the Widow's Kiss won't make someone a widow or widower. She loved once, and your liver will love her.

June 6, 1944.  On that day Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in France, fought the Nazis, and won a pivotal battle of World War II.  The Flower of Normandy does not celebrate this victory over the evil Nazis (I know, that's redundant).  Instead, it celebrates Calvados, the apple brandy that only comes from Normandy.  Many thanks to Embitterment for introducing me to one of its signature cocktails.

2 ounces Calvados or other apple brandy
.5 ounces elderflower liqueur (I used St. Germain)
2-3 dashes orange bitters (ideally from Embitterment)

Combine in a mixing glass or shaker with ice, stir with a calmness that most certainly did not exist on D-Day, and strain into a chilled glass.  Orange peel garnish optional.

The Flower of Normandy is a truly French cocktail if you use Calvados and St. Germain.  Calvados is to apple brandy like Cognac is to brandy.  If you recall the post about torched Dutch grapes, it's all about geography. Calvados, or apple brandy generally, is a key part of cocktails such as the Corpse Reviver #1 and the Antoine's Smile.

If you want to mix cocktails and history, make yourself a Flower of Normandy and sit down with a book about D-Day (I highly recommend D Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen Ambrose) or watch a movie such as Saving Private Ryan (the opening sequence is viscerally stunning and unforgettable). Or just savor the drink on its own and remember -- some things are worth fighting for.

See the world through a drink.  Traveling to other countries makes you realize how good you have it (I'm speaking to you, my fellow Americans), and you'll realize there are many things that unite us -- like a high quality cocktail.  The Intercontinental is one of many examples.  Thanks to Imbibe magazine for introducing me to it.

1 ounce brandy
1 ounce Averna
.5 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the sexy and sophisticated demeanor of a world traveler, and strain into a chilled glass.  Orange garnish optional.

The original Intercontinental recipe calls for Cognac, but use whatever brandy you prefer.  Keep in mind all Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac (it is all torched Dutch grapes).  Brandy can come from anywhere, e.g. the pisco in a Pisco Sour comes from South America, but Averna and Luxardo maraschino liqueur only come from Italy.

I've had the good fortune to travel to various parts of the world, and I've embarrassed my wife, aka Ms. Wulf Cocktail Den, in many countries.  We believe in trying the local stuff.  We've had good experiences, e.g. Mekhong, a Thai "whiskey" (it is the base of the Mekhong Manhattan), and bad, e.g. Turkish beer.  Either way we're richer for the experience.

Have passport, have liver, will travel.

I'm not comparing apples to oranges.  I'm comparing apples (brandy) to apples (jack).  Apple brandy is featured in drinks such as the Honeymoon, applejack is featured in drinks such as the Jersey Girl, or you could use either one in drinks such as the Jack Rose and the Diamondback. As I've mentioned in others posts, even though they both come from fermented apple cider, the two are similar but not the same.

So what's the difference?  Traditionally it's a matter of hot and cold.  Apple brandy uses the regular distilling process. This involves heating the cider so that the alcohol evaporates, capturing the vapor, and cooling the vapor so it becomes a liquid again.  Applejack involves freezing the cider and siphoning off the liquid alcohol after the water freezes.  Both processes separate the alcohol from the water by exploiting their different boiling or freezing points.

Why use the word "traditionally?" Because there's a problem with the old way of making applejack.  When one freezes cider most of the impurities stay with the alcohol.  In comparison, when one heats cider most of the impurities stay with the liquid, not the alcoholic vapor.

Fortunately modern applejack doesn't have this problem. Laird's (the only applejack producer of which I am aware) applejack consists of  35% apple brandy and 65% neutral grain spirits. In comparison, apple brandy is exactly what it sounds like.

Now you can compare apples to apples. Cheers!

Apples, whiskey, and cinnamon.  Any of those flavors can evoke the autumn season.  Combine them into a drink, and you'll fall (pun intended) for the result. You don't hear the phrase "how about them apples" much anymore (to my non-American readers -- the expression means "what do you think about that?"), but as Matt Damon shows in this scene from Good Will Hunting, sometimes it really hits the right note.

The American Apple is my variation on a recipe I saw on the barnonedrinks.com website.

1.5 ounces bourbon
.75 ounces apple brandy or applejack
Juice from 1/8 lemon
.5 ounces super simple syrup
2 dashes cinnamon

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with Will's swagger, and strain into a chilled glass. Apple slice and/or nutmeg garnish optional.

Apple brandy is similar to, but not the same as, applejack. All you have to do is compare apples to apples.  Like a Diamondback, you can use either spirit in an American Apple. If you prefer apple brandy try a cocktail such as a Pan Am Clipper, and if you prefer applejack try a cocktail such as a Jersey Girl. Bourbon is legally an American spirit, but if you don't have any, rye works well.

So how about them apples?

Antoine's is a great old school restaurant in New Orleans.  Many years ago Lawson Rollins, my best friend in college who is now an award winning world class musician (click here for his website), introduced me to Antoine's when he lived in New Orleans.  I go there whenever I'm in town, and I've had many wonderful experiences in the restaurant and the Hermes bar.  I don't know the proportions Antoine's uses for this cocktail, so here's my version.

2 ounces Calvados or apple brandy
Juice from 1/8 lemon
.75 ounces super simple syrup
.25 ounces glorious grenadine

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with the joy of savoring some amazing food and drink, and strain into a chilled glass.

Calvados is an apple brandy from the Calvados region in France.  It's a key component in other tasty cocktails such as the Corpse Reviver #1.  If you can't find Calvados in a liquor store you can find it online.

The Antoine's Smile is a great brunch cocktail.  It is a little sweeter than many drinks in the Wulf Cocktail Den, even compared to other brunch drinks such as the Good Morning Manhattan.  Of course, the Calvados gives the Antoine's Smile some punch, and the lemon juice keeps it from being too sweet. 

Put a smile on your face and have an Antoine's Smile.