Brandy and white crème de menthe: unlikely bedfellows, some might say. Together in equal parts, however, they form the basis of The Stinger – a minty-sweet bracer with a glittery, well-documented history that predates Prohibition.
Said to have come about at the turn of the 20th century, the stiff classic is often attributed to American millionaire Reginald Vanderbilt, which goes a long way towards explaining its popularity among elite social circles in the 1920s. Over the ensuing decades, the hearty digestif became something of a pop culture icon, a beverage of choice for Cary Grant in comedies like The Bishop’s Wife and Kiss Them for Me, and none other than James Bond in Ian Fleming’s novels Diamonds Are Forever and Thunderball. While the drink fell out of fashion in the 1970s, it’s been a fixture on the menu since day one at Sydney’s Double Deuce Lounge – a subterranean cocktail bar that pays homage to that decade in all its big-collared, bell-bottomed and Cosmopolitan-soaked glory.
“Our recipe has all the Cognac and crème de menthe you would come to expect,” says co-owner Sebastian Soto, “bolstered by the addition of Fernet-Branca, Branca Menta and a few cheeky dashes of absinthe.” Beware, this one really lives up to its name.
Ingredients
Method
To make peppermint and avocado oil, combine one drop peppermint essential oil to 1 tbsp avocado oil; store in a dropper bottle.
Notes
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