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.