Recipe
2oz Lairds Straight Apple Brandy (100 proof)
.75oz Antica Formula Vermouth
0.5oz Cointreau
1 Dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters

*No garnish

The Lillywhacker is one of my all time favorite Phil Ward recipes. If you have not tried Lairds Straight Apple Brandy before, you are in for a treat. The apple flavor in the brandy is not sweet, but falls somewhere in between dry and bitter. I personally don’t prefer sweet cocktails, so I fell in love with the Lairds Straight Apple Brandy (100 proof) pretty quickly.

The mix of red vermouth and the orange liquor blends nicely with the apple brandy. The real surprise to a first time drinker of the Lillywhacker is the Xocolatl Mole bitters that comes through in the tail end of each sip. Bittermans Xocolatl Mole bitters are not as readily stocked as Fee Brothers , Angostura, Peychauds, so you may need to search online if you are not finding it in your local liquor store.

Side note: When I was bartending an event, I ran out of Xocolatl Mole bitters and switched to Aztec Chocolate by Fee Brothers in a pinch to keep things moving… completely different feel to the drink, but also very delicious (2 dashes when using the Aztec Chocolate bitters).

Recipe
1. Add the brandy, vermouth, Cointreau, and bitters into stirring glass.
2. Add 2 large ice cubes and stir until cold.
3. Strain and pour into the classiest glass your great grandma left you.
4. Serve and watch people be excited by the Xocolatl Mole bitters.

Notes
Resist the urge to garnish! No bourbon cherries or orange peel needed. There is plenty of complex flavors in this amazing cocktail.