Peninsular War

The Peninsular War pitted Spain against France and began when French armies occupied Spain. Unable to pacify the people of Spain, Napoleon was defeated. Perhaps if the ruler had offered a cocktail of half Spanish Licor 43 and half French Courvoisier, with a sweet-and-sour tang of cranberry, a fortunate compromise would have come his way.

What to buy: Licor 43 Cuarenta y Tres is a Spanish liqueur with great spiced notes that is often served on the rocks. It can be found at high-end liquor stores and online.

Courvoisier is one of the most well-known French brandies from the town of Cognac. We use the VS (Very Special) style in this cocktail for a strong but not overly dominant flavor. If you can’t find it, go ahead and substitute another high-quality brandy.

This recipe was featured as part of our Thanksgiving Leftovers photo gallery.

• 2 ounces Licor 43 Cuarenta y Tres
• 2 ounces VS Cognac, such as Courvoisier
• 1 ounce Cranberry and Citrus Sauce or Basic Cranberry Sauce
• Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• Ice
• Orange twist, for garnish

1. 1Combine Licor 43, Cognac, and cranberry sauce in a cocktail shaker and muddle until most of the the cranberries and citrus are broken up.
2. 2Add lemon juice and fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake vigorously.
3. 3Strain into a chilled rocks glass and garnish with an orange twist.