$3,2000 Cognac: Courvoisier L’Essence

Truth is, there is no steady formula for a successful cocktail based on the quality or price of ingredients. Alcoholic minglings are far too complicated for that. Add a really good sipping Anejo tequila to a margarita and you’ll, often as not, ruin it. I once tried making a Sidecar with the best Hennessy at a bar – using another person’s booze is the best way to experiment with the good stuff. Especially since the result was atrocious. Trade secret: cheaper is actually often better.

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