Name: Quebec City (a brandy-based Toronto)
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 52.5 ml Cognac (brandy); 7.5 ml Fernet liqueur; 7.5 ml Maple syrup; 1 dash Aromatic bitters; 10 ml Chilled water

Ingredients

1 ³⁄₄ fl oz

Cognac (brandy)

¹⁄₄ fl oz

Fernet Branca liqueur

¹⁄₄ fl oz

Maple syrup

1 dash

Angostura Aromatic Bitters

¹⁄₃ fl oz

Chilled water/mineral water

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and discard.

Garnish with skewered cherry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Quebec City (a brandy-based Toronto) contains 163 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
24.35% alc./vol. (48.7° proof)
19 grams of pure alcohol

History

A Toronto Cocktail based on brandy rather than whiskey, as is the norm today. Brandy is used in preference to whiskey for this cocktail in Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails - How to Mix Them. The name, and indeed trying brandy as the base, is thanks to a comment by Michael N. on our Toronto cocktail page in February 2022.

Fernet Cocktail
Fill the bar glass half full of broken ice and add:
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes of plain Sugar or Gum Syrup.
¼ gill of Fernet Branca.
¼ gill of Cognac Brandy, or Rye Whisky to taste.
Stir up well with a spoon, strain into a cocktail-glass, and squeeze lemon-peel on top.
This cocktail is much appreciated by the Canadians of Toronto.

Robert Vermeire, 1922

Comments & Discussion

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Tuber Magnatum Premium Member 2d

I read an article in todays Globe and Mail (one of Canada's national newspapers) on local spirits mentioned both the Toronto and Quebec City drinks. I was going to do the Toronto as I had previously rated it as a 5+. However not having had the Quebec City, I chose this and liked it even better! I will leave it to Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap fame to rate it a 6!

Justin Aniello 50w

A fernet drink where it gets to show through but not overpowering is rare indeed and this one succeeds. Light sweetness from the syrup, just barely tasting the maple itself. Both work extremely well with the cognac.

Susie Bright Premium Member 2y

At the risk of being accused of Canadian delusion, the sourcing of REAL, top of the line Ontario or Quebec “sirop d’erable” is what makes this. It’s heaven. Maple syrup is Eastern Canada’s umami. Treasure it!

Mary Stom 2y

No maple syrup

Elise Bruels 2y

Served this at a Christmas party and it was a smash hit across the board. I didn't have maple syrup on hand but instead used a homemade 2:1 Demerara syrup, and that really brought out all the cinnamon and caramel notes from the brandy, as well as highlighting the clove from the fernet. This is a special one.

Richard Christmas 2y

Amazing! I am not sure that I like either F.B. or Angostura very much, but together they are magical, and go so well with the cognac. An instant favourite. Is it heretical to serve it in a Nick & Nora?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 2y

It could nestle nicely in a Nick & Nora.

Juniper Lately 1y

Say that five times fast!

Mitchell Braun 3y

Real good! Fernet works better with cognac than with whisky IMO. Next time I’m going to try upping the cognac to 2oz and cutting the maple in half to dry it out a bit.

Richard Christmas 2y

I had had a similar thought, and it does work very well, but it is less comforting on a dark autumn evening, and seems a trifle less self-indulgent.

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 4y

Wow, excellent drink! Even with what I consider to be a sub-par Cognac - Godet VS - this is a well-conceived recipe. Each supporting ingredient is subtly yet clearly expressed. (23 Jun 2022, 6:58a)