*Recently featured in the Weekly Dig.
by Pinky Gonzales + Pink Lady
Count Louis Philippe Joseph de Roffignac fought alongside the British in the Battle for New Orleans, then in the 1820’s became its Mayor. Among many things, he was credited for bringing cobblestone and city lighting to the streets of the French Quarter. He escaped the guillotine and fled his native France for the swampy shores of the Ponchartrain. And like any good Frenchman, Joseph also drank his share of Cognac, which he was known to mix with seltzer, ice, and rich raspberry syrup in a tall glass.
Little did he know this early highball-of-sorts would forevermore bear his name, alongside the classics Sazerac, Ramos Fizz, and Vieux Carré. As with (what many consider to be) the first cocktail, the Sazerac, imbibers grew to swap the more readily available and popular rye whiskey for the Cognac over time. We find Cognac or Brandy still makes for the best Roffignac, while a rye Sazerac is a match made in heaven.
Sip one of these as you prep your liver for Tales of the Cocktail this July.
Cin-cin!
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Roffignac Cocktail
Roffignac Cocktail2 ounces Cognac, Brandy, or good rye whiskey
1 ounce raspberry syrup
Soda water or seltzer
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the first two ingredients, then top off with soda or seltzer. Swizzle and serve.
(Various raspberry syrups can be found in specialty stores, or make your own: muddle fresh raspberries with simple syrup, double-straining out the seeds.)
