Eleanor Of Aquitaine Cocktail

The Eleanor of Aquitaine cocktail is an amazing cocktail created by the geniuses at Holeman & Finch, one of the very best gastropubs in Atlanta, if not in the whole country. Totally not for beginners, this complex cocktail features Fernet Branca, Armagnac, and Campari.This is an amazing cocktail if you’re looking for something to help you take your cocktail crafting to the next level.

What The Heck Is Campari?

The original Eleanor of Aquitaine cocktail at Holeman & Finch has Zucca liqueur in it. We substitute Campari for Zucca in this recipe because it’s what we have on hand regularly. Both of these liqueurs fall into a category we call bittersweet, orange Italian aperitifs. Aperol is another great one. All certainly have their distinct individual flavor profiles, but we’ve found that in this recipe the Campari has a close enough flavor to what we remember tasting in the cocktail we got at Holeman & Finch.

What The Heck Is Armagnac?

To keep it simple, Armagnac is a liquor in the brandy family. Anytime you seen Armagnac in a recipe, you can substitute Cognac for it, but Armagnac is actually a bit softer and smoother. We happened to have a bottle of this we got as a gift from a friend of ours who is our cocktail guru. (Read a little more about this friend here in our Aviation cocktail post.) These days it’s not all that hard to find Armagnac in many good bottle shops. Keep an eye out for it and give it a try.

What The Heck Is Fernet Branca?

Fernet Branca (a lot of people just call it Fernet) is a bitter, aromatic Italian liqueur. We have a friend who owns a restaurant almost across the street from our house, and he loves to give people a little nip of Fernet Branca after they eat to help with digestion. Not many people can handle drinking this straight! It’s a pretty darn intense flavor so tread carefully if you want to try this on your own. Fernet Branca is featured in the Toronto cocktail, which we have a great recipe for and will feature here in the future.

How Did You Figure Out How To Make Such A Complicated Cocktail?

Holeman & Finch used to do this amazing thing where they published the ingredients and measures of everything in all their cocktails. This was published on their menu and also on their website in a downloadable file. It was incredible. So trust me, we did not figure this puppy out on our own. Every time we went to H&F and liked a cocktail, we either took a picture of the menu or got the menu online so we could try things at home, which I think was H&F’s idea when they published the ingredients and measures. So cool of them to do that. We happened to have most of these ingredients at home so we took a shot at this cocktail and loved it.

Again, this cocktail is not for the faint of heart, but despite how many ingredients this cocktail has the flavor is very approachable and refreshing. Try it and let us know how you like it!

Eleanor Of Aquitaine Cocktail

 

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Author: Oakhurst Kitchen

Ingredients

• .75oz Armagnac or Cognac
• .75oz Fernet Branca
• .75oz Campari
• .5oz lime juice
• .25oz simple syrup
• champagne or sparkling wine
• pinch salt
• lime twist garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except the champagne, salt, and lime twist in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well until chilled.
2. Strain into a champagne flute.
3. Top with champagne or sparkling wine.
4. Garnish with a lime twist and a pinch of salt.

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