Menagerie Recipe

1. Prepare ingredients

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or by filling with ice water. Juice a fresh lemon and measure the spirits and liqueurs. If using homemade simple syrup, have it at room temperature.

2. Optional lemon sugar rim

If you want a sugared rim, rub a lemon wedge around the glass rim, then dip the rim into superfine sugar spread on a small plate. Tap off excess and set the glass aside to dry briefly.

3. Build and shake

In a cocktail shaker add the Cognac (2 oz), pear liqueur (0.5 oz), orange liqueur (0.5 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.75 oz), simple syrup (0.25 oz) and anise liqueur (0.25 tsp). Fill the shaker with ice (about 3–4 large cubes).

4. Shake vigorously

Secure the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is very cold and the mixture is well-chilled and slightly diluted.

5. Double strain and serve

Empty the chilled glass of ice water if used. Double-strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora to remove ice shards and any lemon pulp.

6. Express the lemon twist over the cocktail by holding the twist over the drink and giving it a quick twist to release oils, then run the peel around the rim and drop it into the glass.

7. Float a thin pear slice on the surface or skewer it on a cocktail pick and rest across the glass rim. Serve immediately.