20 Classic Brandy Cocktails You Have to Try

The brandy cocktail is a perfect way to dress up a good brandy and it fits the definition of a cocktail perfectly. The recipe mixes brandy with curaçao, then finishes it off with 2 dashes of both Angostura and Peychaud's Bitters. It's subtle, elegant, and a very enjoyable drink.

The brandy daisy is very similar and one of the better "daisy" cocktails. It requires just a few dashes of rum along with curaçao, simple syrup, lemon, and soda to create a well-balanced drink. This delicate cocktail is ideal for some of your finer brandies and Cognacs.

Just as gin has the martini and whiskey has the Manhattan, brandy has the metropolitan. This classic recipe mixes brandy with sweet vermouth and simple syrup for a simple, satisfying drink that is great before dinner.

As many of these recipes show, simpler is often better and no cocktail proves this more than the B&B. It is equal parts of brandy and the herbal liqueur, Benedictine, served in a snifter. The heavenly drink will show off the finest brandies in style.

A New Orleans classic, the Vieux Carre is an interesting cocktail with layers of memorable flavors. In it, Cognac combines with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and (again) both Angostura and Peychaud's bitters. The complexity makes it a memorable cocktail.

The brandy Alexander is a creamy delight and possibly one of the oldest dessert cocktails. Requiring just three ingredients—brandy, crème de cacao, and cream—it mixes up quickly and the taste is unbelievably satisfying for the sweet tooth.

The sidecar has seen many makeovers over the years and it is one that you can easily adapt to your personal taste. The recipe uses your brandy of choice (often Cognac or Armagnac), orange liqueur, and lemon juice. It's a fantastic brandy sour, particularly if you perfect the drink's balance for each brandy you use.

Fans of the sidecar family of drinks will thoroughly enjoy this sour cocktail. Between the sheets is nearly identical, with its brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice mix, but it tosses light rum into the mix. Possibly the best part is that the three liquors are poured equally, so it's very easy to remember the recipe.

When brandy and Champagne meet, the result is pure elegance. The Champagne cocktail is a timeless drink that will forever be used for celebrations. As an extra bonus, the fountain of bubbles from the sugar cube makes a stunning visual effect.

When you want to celebrate something really special, the Champagne bowler is a fabulous choice. The recipe relies on fresh strawberries and a combination of Cognac, white wine, and sparkling wine. It's lovely in its simplicity but offers a complex taste that is a delight to drink.

The classic cobbler cocktail is unbelievably simple, requiring brandy (or whiskey), simple syrup, and club soda (if you like). Just like any dessert cobbler, what makes this drink stand out is the fruit. You can go with the average lemons and oranges, but this one really deserves whatever seasonal fruit you can find, so the possibilities are endless!

Stemming from the early 1800s, the brandy smash has been satisfying drinkers for nearly 200 years, so you know it's good. This recipe is a bit like a mint julep, but it takes a slightly different approach in the muddle and, of course, it prefers brandy over bourbon.

The club cocktail is a nice change from brandy's darker side. Its mix of brandy and maraschino offers a sweet and sultry taste to contrast the pineapple and Peychaud's Bitters. Drinks like this also allow you to get away with brandies that are ​a bit more budget-friendly.

The Saratoga cocktail is where the metropolitan and Manhattan meet, so there's no need to choose between the two drinks! Sweet vermouth and bitters are paired with both brandy and whiskey (rye is recommended) to create a fantastic cocktail for any occasion.

Some takes on the metropolitan opt for dry vermouth rather than sweet and that's what you'll find in the chrysanthemum. This recipe gets a little more interesting though because absinthe plays a crucial role in defining the final flavor.

The star cocktail is best described as a metropolitan for apple brandy. For a true taste of this classic, try to find a real apple brandy (eau de vie distilled from the fruit) rather than the sweetened liqueur version. The recipe also introduces you to gomme syrup, an old-school version of simple syrup that's easy to make at home.

There are a number of recipes that have taken on the corpse reviver name. While the gin version is arguably more popular today, the drink known as "corpse reviver no. 1" pairs brandy with apple brandy and sweet vermouth. It is a delightful drink and a nice alternative to the metropolitan.

The Tom & Jerry is a fantastic drink that has long been a holiday tradition. It is typically made of brandy, dark rum, egg, simple syrup, and warm milk. Even if you have an aversion to eggnog, you may enjoy this recipe.

Back in the 1700s, milk punch was a very popular beverage for gatherings. This particular recipe makes a single drink and it makes an excellent nightcap or cold weather sipper. To make it, you'll simply shake brandy, syrup, and milk, adding an egg and vanilla extract if you like, then giving it a nutmeg dusting.

There is an actual cocktail called the night cap and it's a completely different drink than you might expect. This 1930s classic adds an anise liqueur to brandy and curaçao. There's also an egg yolk which, unlike the white that creates a nice foam, gives the drink a distinctly eggy flavor. It's interesting, to say the least.