Top 10 Best Armagnac Cocktail Recipes To Make At Home

1. Corpse Reviver N°1

Firstly, you may notice that the majority of cocktails that we suggest in this guide are classic late-19th century and pre-prohibition era concoctions. We intentionally opted for such creations Armagnac was the most imported brandy during the cocktail boom of the period as it resisted the phylloxera outbreak.

The first Corpse Reviver is a pre-prohibition classic and was also supposedly a hangover cure. It consists of the following ingredients:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Armagnac
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Calvados
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Sweet Vermouth
• Orange Peel

Simply stir the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and then garnish it with an orange peel.

2. French Negroni

Cognac is a popular substitute for whisky if people find the Italian Negroni to be somewhat lacking in character. However, if you really want an exciting alternative, consider using Armagnac instead! Therefore, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Armagnac
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Campari
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Vermouth
• Orange Peel

Just add the ingredients to a tumbler glass a gently stir with ice until well-chilled. Afterwards, add an orange peel for garnish.

3. Armagnac Aristocrat

The Aristocrat is a classic and refreshing brandy cocktail. By using Armagnac instead, you can benefit from added character and fruitiness, which is mouthwatering to say the least! You’ll just need the following ingredients:

• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Armagnac
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Lillet Blanc
• 90 ml (3 Oz) Ginger Ale
• Lemon Peel

Start by adding the ingredients to an ice-filled tumbler, beginning with the Lillet Blanc and ending with the ginger ale. Feel free to add the ginger ale to taste rather than using the quantity listed above. Finally, garnish with a lemon peel and enjoy.

4. Sazerac

To celebrate New Orleans’ 300th anniversary, Revolution in the Royal Sonesta hotel incorporated an 1893 millésime Castarede Armagnac into its Sazerac. Indeed, cognac may have been the brandy of choice when the cocktail was invented. However, Armagnac quickly took its place during the phylloxera epidemic.

We don’t quite have the same budget but you can recreate the concept withe the following ingredients.

• 50 ml (1¾ Oz) Armagnac
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Absinthe
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 Lemon Peel

Drop the absinthe into an empty tumbler glass and swirl it until it leaves a coating inside before filling it with ice and setting it aside. While it cools, add the Armagnac and bitters to a second tumbler and stir the ingredients with ice.

Toss out the contents of the first tumbler and strain the ingredients from the second one into it. You can add a twisted lemon peel for garnish.

5. Sidecar

Admittedly, the Sidecar was introduced in the 1920s at the Paris Ritz. Therefore, it was unlikely that Armagnac was ever used instead of cognac. Nevertheless, it pairs nicely with the lemon juice and triple sec. It consists of just the following ingredients:

• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Armagnac
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Triple Sec / Cointreau
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Lemon Juice
• 1 Lemon Peel

Just shake the ingredients with ice, strain them into a well-chilled coupe glass, and add a lemon twist for garnish.

6. Tom Collins

The Tom Collins was inspired by a New York hoax from 1874 and even led to the creation of its eponymous highball glass. A refreshing cocktail with a variety of zesty ingredients, it’s one worth considering for the summer. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Armagnac
• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Lemon Juice
• 20 ml (¾ Oz) Simple Syrup
• 90 ml (3 Oz) Club Soda
• Lemon Wheel
• Brandied Cherry

Shake the Armagnac, lemon juice, and syrup over ice and strain into a highball or Tom Collins glass. Fill the glass with club soda to taste before topping it with the lemon wheel and the cherry.

7. Vieux Carré

Another New Orleans classic, the Vieux Carré is one of our personal favourites that marries gourmand and rounded flavours for a smooth result. Rather than using cognac, which can easily be drowned by the other flavours, Armagnac adds personality to this creation. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Armagnac
• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Rye Whiskey
• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Sweet Vermouth
• 1 Tsp Bénédictine
• 2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Just combine all the ingredients in a tumbler glass and stir them before adding ice.

8. D’Artagnan Cocktail

The d’Artagnan is aptly amed after the fourth Musketeer, a native of Gascony, which is also the birthplace of Armagnac. It’s a great Champagne cocktail and lesser-known compared to many other varieties. Unlike the recipes above, it has to be made with Armagnac to be considered a proper d’Artagnan!

You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 15 ml (½ Oz) Armagnac
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Grand Marnier
• 60 ml (2 Oz) Orange Juice
• 7 ml (¼ Oz) Simple Syrup
• Brut Champagne

Shake the Armagnac, Grand Marnier, orange juice, and syrup with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Top up with Brut Champagne to taste. Given the use of simple syrup, avoid using sweet Champagne or sparkling wine like Prosecco.

9. Continental Sour

This cocktail was initially known as the Whiskey Sour until the addition of red wine made it the New York Sour. However, by then substituting the whiskey with Armagnac, it becomes the Continental Sour, which is far smoother and fruitier in our opinion. It’ll need the following:

• 40 ml (1¼ Oz) Armagnac
• 20 ml (¾ Oz) egg white
• 20 ml (¾ Oz) sugar syrup
• 15 ml (½ Oz) lemon juice
• 10 ml (¼ Oz) red wine

Firstly, make sure the egg is fresh by placing it in a glass filled with water. If it sinks, it’s good enough to use. Shake all the ingredients except for the red wine with ice until the outside becomes cold. Strain it into an ice-filled glass and gently pour the red wine so it separates at the top.

10. Brandy Smash

A very simply cocktail that brings the Armagnac into the fore. We couldn’t think of a better cocktail than the Brandy Smash for showcasing Armagnac’s flavours! You’ll just need the following:

• 50ml (1¾ Oz) Armagnac
• 20ml (¾ Oz) sugar syrup
• 4 mint leaves
• 2 lemon wedges

Shake the Armagnac and sugar syrup and strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice. Just add the mint leaves and lemon wedges for garnish.

What Next?

Now that you have read about the best Armagnac cocktails, why don’t you check out some of our related spirit guides?

• What Is Armagnac?
• Best Armagnac Brands
• How Armagnac Is Made
• What Is Cognac?
• Vermouth Guide
• Best Spirit & Liquor Glassware
• Alcoholic Spirit Homepage