This “flip” is such an old drink that it predates the word “cocktail.” It also predates whiskey and rum. The drink goes back to old taverns and sailing ports in the 1400s/1500s and is meant to nourish and warm you to your very soul. Today, it makes for a great and still nourishing cocktail to try as fall sets in, the leaves turn, and the frost starts appearing.
This drink has had some varying iterations over the centuries (as things like this are wont to do). Originally, this was a hot ale drink/meal made by the fire and mixed with scrambled eggs, sugar, brandy, and spices and poured hot between pitchers until it was a creamy concoction suitable for quaffing (there’s a lot more history to it but that’s enough for now). Around the 1870s (at which point cocktail culture grown far more refined), the drink was still popular as a hot ale/egg/spice fireside drink but was also pushed more toward the cocktail we know today — which is a mix of brandy with fortified wine, whole egg, spices, sugar, and ice. It was served cold and carried with it a truly amazing creamy texture.
Fast forward another 150 or so years and you have a culture where the flip is one of those “secret” menu items that only bartenders in the know can make. It’s also a drink that can be made to honor any flavor whim you might have. Want to make it with bourbon pumpkin spice? Go ahead. How about rummy vanilla latte espresso bean? Sure thing! Root beer float flip? No problem.
The point is, this is a versatile base drink of brandy, fortified wine, sugar, and spice that can go in almost endless directions. So I’m going to make my go-to flip for you which combines dark cherry syrup and cinnamon with ruby port and cognac. It’s freakin’ delicious, trust me, so let’s get into it.
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Cherry Fall Flip
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. cognac
- 1 oz. ruby port
- 0.5 oz. cherry syrup
- 1 egg
- Ground cinnamon (garnish)
- Ice
I’m using D’Usse Cognac VSOP. It’s a great base brandy that leans into sweeter, bourbon-like flavors (think vanilla, caramel, stewed apple). I’m also using Fonseca Bin No. 27 Reserve Porto which is ruby red and lush with notes of prunes, spices, and sour mulled wine.
The cherry syrup is from a jar of Filthy Black Cherries. The syrup has a lovely earthiness to it that’s beautifully cherry-sweet and helps amp up this cocktail nicely.
The rest is pretty easy. I’m using a farm-fresh medium egg. If you’re worried about that aspect, use a pasteurized egg instead. I’m also using Saigon Cinnamon which you should be able to find in any grocery store.
What You’ll Need:
- Champagne flute or lowball glass
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
- Jigger
Method:
- Prechill the glass in the freezer.
- Add the cognac, port, syrups, and egg to a cocktail shaker (I like to break the egg into something else before putting it in the shaker to assure no shell gets in there). Affix the lid and shake without ice for at least 15 seconds. Since there’s no ice, there will be no vacuum. You’ll have to hold the lid tight otherwise you’ll get cocktail everywhere.
- Remove the lid and add a handful of ice, and shake again for about 15 seconds to chill the cocktail (the shaker should be ice-cold to touch).
- Remove the glass from the freezer and strain the cocktail into the glass. Make sure to shake out all the foam that you can.
- Garnish with a dash of ground cinnamon. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Lush, silky, luxurious, creamy … lavish. This feels heightened thanks to that texture. The egg emulsifies to the point of creating a truly creamy experience without the addition of cream (or any milk fat for that matter).
But the beautiful texture is only half of the story. The depth of the cherry is amplified by the spices and fruit from the brandy and port, which are both still felt on the palate. The cinnamon is fresh and adds a nice, sweet layer of spice to the cherry and port. The booziness is light but there with a sense of the fruity brandy and sour-ish port shining through the most.
Overall, this is a great sipper that feels like you should be sipping it next to a big backyard firepit with pumpkins sitting around. Plus, it’s filling, with that whole egg in there. You’re satisfied after just one with a nice “take the edge off” vibe.