The Kind of Cobbler You Drink

“It’s the kind of drink you’d sip with a strainer so the ice didn’t mess up your mustache wax,” says Nick Detrich of the cobbler, the nineteenth-century sherry concoction that once eclipsed the julep in popularity. “The julep was a more brusque drink,” Detrich explains. “The cobbler was more of an everyday affair because it’s lower proof and more refreshing.” That mid-1800s pedigree is what makes the cobbler a natural addition to the menu at Jewel of the South, which Detrich launched this year with another venerable New Orleans barman, Chris Hannah, formerly of Arnaud’s French 75 Bar. The two built the bar as an homage to Joseph Santini, who invented the brandy crusta in the 1850s at his New Orleans bar, also called Jewel of the South. The cobbler recipe is simple—take whatever fruits and berries are in season, mix them with sherry, Madeira, or vermouth, and shake it up.  Just don’t forget the garnish. “The cobbler is as much about the garnish as it is the drink,” Detrich says. “At that time, people ordered the sherry cobbler as an afternoon happy-hour winding-down-the-day sort of drink. You had the delicious cocktail and a couple of sweet treats on top.” Cheers to that.