Rush Street

I was doubtful at first that Rush Street was a real place, like the imaginary London Below in Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. It turns out that it is a one-way street in northern Chicago, named after Benjamin Rush, an original signatory of the U.S. Constitution. That means it is another Chicago cocktail and a late colonial style drink. That explains why it is a cognac cocktail; before whiskey took over as a locally-made spirit, cognac and French liqueurs were popular with colonials who refused to drink British rum.

So the Rush Street belongs with the cognac-based Chicago Cocktail and the gin-heavy South Side! The fun ingredients that set the Rush Street apart display a  full-on Frenchness:  orgeat syrup and Mandarine Napoleon. I used to make my own orgeat syrup, but now I buy it. And now because of the Pandemic, I am making my own Mandarine Napoleon, the mandarin orange and spiced cognac spirit that Napoleon himself was said to enjoy.

• 1 1/2 oz. brandy (Larressingle armagnac used)
• 1/2 oz. Mandarine Napoleon
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• several dashes orgeat syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.