Hennessy Recipe

Chill glass

Place a rocks glass or coupe in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill it with ice and water while preparing the cocktail.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz Hennessy, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

Add ice and shake

Add 6 ice cubes to the shaker. Seal and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker is cold and the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted.

Prepare glass

If you used ice to chill the glass, discard that ice and any water. Add a single large ice cube to the rocks glass (or use the chilled coupe without ice).

Strain

Double-strain the shaken cocktail into the prepared glass using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer to remove small ice shards and any pulp from the lemon juice.

Express the oils of a lemon twist over the surface of the cocktail by holding the twist over the drink and pinching or bending it so the oils spray onto the cocktail, then drop the twist into the glass as garnish.

If you prefer a longer, lighter serve, top with 2 oz club soda gently down the side of the glass and garnish additionally with an orange slice.

Serve immediately while cold. The balance between Hennessy, lemon, and sugar is bright and slightly sweet—adjust simple syrup to taste for a drier or sweeter finish.

To make this a stirred cocktail (drier, smoother), combine the ingredients (except lemon twist) in a mixing glass with ice and stir for 20–30 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass.