How to Drink Apricot Brandy: 7 Apricot Brandy Cocktails

Apricot brandy is a liquor made from the distillation of fermented apricot juice. Apricot brandy has distinct flavor notes, making it a great addition to one’s collection of cocktail spirits. Brandy can be made from various fruit juices, and it has many subcategories depending on how and where it is made, like Cognac, Armagnac, and eau-de-vie.

Apricot brandy is a liquor, but it can serve as a base for making liqueurs. Differences between these two drinks include:

• Sugar: The main difference between brandy and liqueur is sweetness. Liqueurs contain sweetener—typically sugar—that is added after the distillation and flavoring process. You can drink apricot brandy and apricot liqueur by themselves, but as an ingredient in cocktails, the different sweetness and flavor profiles create distinct drinks.
• Alcohol: Liqueurs tend to have a lower alcohol level than brandies. The alcohol level for liqueurs can range from fifteen to fifty percent ABV, and brandies can be as high as seventy-five percent.
• Availability: Apricot liqueurs are more readily available on the shelves of liquor stores. Authentic, unsweetened apricot brandy can be challenging to find.

The taste of apricot brandy varies depending on the variety of apricots, base ingredients for the initial fermentation, flavoring agents, and the aging process. Most brandy is aged in oak barrels, which imparts an oaky component to the flavor. Good-quality brandy features floral notes, a hint of fruity sweetness, and sometimes a spicy or smoky trace. Apricot brandy may also have notes of almonds or grapefruit in addition to ripe apricots.

Apricot brandy is made like many other types of brandy. Recipes vary regionally, but the general process for making brandy is as follows:

1. 1. Fermentation: The first step is fermentation. This is when the soluble fruit sugars in the pressed juice transform into alcohol, via the action of yeasts. Some apricot brandies and liqueurs are blended or made entirely from a different base alcohol, such as those fermented from grains, starches, or vegetables, like beets.
2. 2. Distillation: After the fermentation process, the resulting liquid is distilled. This concentrates the alcohol and changes the flavor and texture of the brandy. The distillation process can happen multiple times depending on the type of brandy being made.
3. 3. Infusions: In some apricot brandies, distillers add flavorings to the apricot distillate. These additives might include bitter apricot kernels, other fruits or spices, essences, or artificial flavors to produce a desired taste.
4. 4. Aging: After distillation, the brandy is aged, often in oak casks. This process may take months or years. The longer it is aged, the more mellow and complex the finished product will be.
   

A good bottle of apricot brandy or apricot liqueur can be as useful and versatile as grenadine, dry vermouth, amaretto, triple sec, bitters, and simple syrup in your home bar. Consider making these popular cocktail recipes with apricot brandy:

1. 1. Apricot sour: This brandy-based classic cocktail is a variation of a whiskey sour. Mix apricot brandy and sour mix in a cocktail shaker with ice. You can buy a pre-made sour mix or make it at home with equal parts lemon and lime juice. A maraschino cherry is a typical garnish for this cocktail.
2. 2. Apricot fizz: You can make an apricot fizz with apricot brandy, fresh lemon juice, half a teaspoon of superfine sugar, and club soda or seltzer.
3. 3. Apricot rickey: To make this tart, cooling cocktail, mix apricot brandy with lime juice and top it off with seltzer. You can serve an apricot brandy rickey over ice or neat, but it is best chilled.
4. 4. Cannonball: Combine mezcal, apricot brandy or apricot liqueur, lime juice, pineapple juice, and bitters for this festive cocktail.
5. 5. Angel face: This cocktail is made with equal parts apricot brandy, calvados (an apple brandy), and gin.
6. 6. Playmate martini: This frothy cocktail mixes a base of cognac with apricot brandy, orange juice, orange liqueur, egg white, and bitters. Mixing vigorously gives the drink a creamy, fizzy texture. Serve a playmate martini in a chilled cocktail glass.
7. 7. Baltimore bang: Combine bourbon, apricot brandy, lemon juice, and simple syrup to make a Baltimore bang, a variation on the whisky sour with a kick.

Learn more about mixology from award-winning bartenders Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana. Refine your palate, explore the world of spirits, and shake up the perfect cocktail for your next gathering with the MasterClass Annual Membership.