To toast the Capitan America puzzle box I’ve made an “Everyday Superhero” cocktail, from Alex&nder in Louisville Kentucky, the in house bar and restaurant at the Copper & Kings distillery. Copper & Kings American Brandy is handmade in Kentucky using small batches of pure, unprocessed grape wine with no additives in copper pot stills. They promote a “low and slow” philosophy meaning they distill at low temperatures, slowly, which maximizes contact with the copper still and enhances fruit flavors in the distillate. The word ‘brandy” is derived from the Dutch “brandewijn” which means “burnt wine” and refers to the boiling process during distillation. Copper pot stills are the modern equivalent of the ancient two-vessel still known as an alembic, used by Middle Eastern alchemists in the seventh century for distillation of perfumes and chemicals. Brandy is the distillate of fruit wine (fermented juice with no skin, seeds or stems), different than whiskey which is the distillate of beer (fermented grain).*

The cocktail is a delicious blackberry smash using brandy as the base spirit and red wine as the complimentary flavor rather than, for example, a vermouth. The wine, reminiscent of a sangria, compliments the fruit brandy nicely and gives the cocktail a fresh and fruity character which is perfect for a warm summer day. But the acidity of the lime juice pulls the drink together to make it feel like a cocktail. Fresh berries are always a fun thing to smash into a summer drink so have fun with it and don’t feel obligated to stick strictly to the recipe. You are the hero of this drink. Cheers!

Everyday Superhero

2 oz brandy (Copper & Kings)

2 oz merlot (or other red wine)

¾ oz lime

¾ oz simple syrup

2 blackberries

Muddle the blackberries in a favorite glass. Shake the other ingredients with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with a lemon and lime wheel shield. Cheers!

* https://www.copperandkings.com/our-craft/