The Stinger is not the kind of drink most enthusiasts take seriously. Made with brandy and creme de menthe, most avoid this sweet and minty concoction due to it being made with rotgut ingredients. If, however, you happen to have access to good ingredients, you might just find there something delicious about this 2 ingredient cocktail.
Stinger
In a Stinger, you need to like mint. The fruitiness of the brandy plays off the herbalness of the mint, and the whole thing is tied together with sweetness. Bear in mind, this drink is more traditionally an after dinner drink, so this isn’t that unusual. So if you like mint, and the fruit and raisined fruit notes in cognac with a hit of mint, this one is for you.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
The biggest component here that matters is the mint. If you use a rotgut bottom shelf creme de menthe, you’re going to end up with a rotgut cocktail. Use something nice though, like a Tempus Fugit’s creme de menthe, and you’ll find you have something special. Also, be aware that the template here is very much customizable to taste. While the original appears to be a 2:1 ratio, modern variants suggest creme de menthe ranging from a full 2 oz (1:1 ratio) to a mere ¼ oz (8:1 ratio). Depending on how dry or sweet you like your Stinger, will decide how you enjoy it made, but this will be important to remember if you order it out.
- Cognac/ Brandy – This is one of those cocktails where quality matters, and we recommend you choose a cognac or brandy that you like. We used Lustau Brandy de Jerez here, but would recommend Pierre Ferrand 1840. Christian Brothers also works in a pinch.
- Creme de Menthe – This is the most important ingredient in the Stinger. We recommend Tempus Fugit or Get’s offerings. If you must make it with Dekuyper, we’ll understand as there are a lot of places that don’t get those specialty ingredients.