"not just fancy...this was extra-fancy...The Brandy Crusta"

You may have never heard of the Brandy Crusta, but you have certainly enjoyed some of its offspring.  This cocktail was the precursor to the Sidecar and the Margarita.  The Crusta was an extra-fancy cocktail invented by Joseph Santina, who opened the Jewel of the South in 1852 on Gravier Street in New Orleans.  The name refers to the sugar crusted rim of the glass.  Recipes vary on measurements, but the insert shows Jerry Thomas' original excerpt in his The Bon Vivant's Companion or How to Mix Drinks(1862).
As with most things, the better the ingredients, the better the final product.  My philosophy in regards to liquor has always been "life is too short for cheap liquor"...that being said here is my spin on this classic beauty.
Brandy Crusta
2 oz of Pierre Ferrand Cognac
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
1/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
bar spoon of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Rim the glass with sugar (I use Turbinado Sugar) and use the rind of one large lemon to encirle the inside rim.  Mix the ingredients listed in a shaker and strain over ice in the prepared glass. http://www.pierreferrandcognac.com/
/http://angosturabitters.com/