The Japanese Cocktail

Published in Jerry Thomas' Bar Tender's Guide of 1887, the Japanese Cocktail is one of the older cocktails out there. Story has it that it was invented by Jerry when the Japanese delegation was in town, visiting New York, and he created it in their honor. It is a combination of brandy, orgeat, and angostura bitters that goes down easy. There's a fair amount of sweetness, but the brandy is strong enough to make itself felt. As Keith at Speakista notes, the orgeat is really a prime contributor, as opposed to the Mai Tai, where it's just a bit player. The almond really hits you hard right up front. The Japanese is a nice drink, if a bit sweet.