B2C2 Recipes: • 1 1/2 ounces brandy • 1 1/2 ounces Benedictine • 1 1/2 ounces Cointreau • 4-6 ounces Brut champagne

Preparation:

Combine the brandy,* Bénédictine, and Cointreau in an Old-Fashioned glass. Top off with room-temperature brut champagne. That’s the original formula. We found it much, much improved by cutting the liquor back to a still-hefty 1 ounce of each and — this is key — stirring them together briskly with cracked ice before straining them into a chilled glass. The champagne should be cold, too — about 3-4 ounces will do. In either case, if you’re going to drink more than two of these, make sure your helmet is on; you’ll need it.