THE ANTOINE SMILE

PUMPKIN BEER, spiked apple cider and cashmere sweaters are bound to make a proud New Englander smile. We came across the recipe for the fine Smile Cocktail, sometimes called Antoine’s Smile, while paging through the modern edition of Charles H. Baker’s work Jigger, Beaker and Glass. What better time to introduce readers to apple cider’s boozier cousin, apple brandy, than the height of the fall season? And it pays homage to one of our favorite bars located in one of our favorite cities, New Orleans’ own Antoine’s. This makes it a must-add to this fall’s bibulous pursuits.

Located in the historic French Quarter, Antoine’s was established in 184O by young immigrant Antoine Alciatore and is owned by the fifth generation of his family to this day. Antoine was just 18-years-old when he opened that spring and his restaurant quickly became a popular haunt for New Orleans’ French speaking aristocracy. The restaurant outgrew its original location and moved to a new home on St. Louis street in 1868 where it still stands today – a sprawling location that houses more than 1O dining rooms and remains an icon for fine French Creole cuisine.

There is so much history to drink in at Antoines, from the creation of the classic dish Oysters Rockefeller by Antoine’s son, to the glistening Large Annex dining room where many New Orleans families have had the same waiter for decades, to the long list of celebrities and elite who have come to Antoine’s in the past 175 years – including presidents and movie stars. The Mystery Room served an important function during Prohibition, when guests would pass through a secret door in the ladies room to procure a coffee cup full of booze which they could enjoy upon returning to the dining room. When asked of the liquor’s origin the simple reply was always “it’s a mystery to me”.

It’s no surprise that world traveler and professional bon vivant Charles H. Baker frequented Antoine’s, which he describes as “a gathering place of people who possess good tastes of varying sorts”. Antoine’s Smile, which is still served at their famous Creole Jazz Brunch, is “simple to make,” writes Baker, “the only requirement being that the apple brandy be not ‘Jersey Lightning’ six months in wood, but aged, and at least five years old – the older the finer, of course.”

It’s little more than a fancy Jack Rose and who can say no to that? For the base, reach for the 7-year aged Bonded Apple Brandy from Laird’s, a 9th generation family owned company. The stuff drinks like a whiskey on its own but when mixed into a cocktail has the most wonderful, bright, appley flavor. And it’s helmed by one of our favorite leading ladies of the liquor industry, Lisa Laird Dunn.
So much to toast to in one little glass! Perhaps you should raise three.

THE ANTOINE SMILE
From Jigger, Beaker and Glass by Charles H. Baker

1 pony Aged apple brandy or Applejack
1/2 small lime or 1/4 lemon, juiced
1 dash Grenadine

Shake, strain and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.

Cin-cin!