Some cocktails shout. This one whispers.

The Sugarplum Reverie is a quiet holiday nightcap—warm Cognac or brandy layered with tawny port, vanilla bean syrup, and just enough bitters to keep things grounded. Think candlelight, slow snow, and the last glass poured when the house finally goes still.

It’s rich without being heavy, festive without being flashy, and built for sipping—preferably near a fire, record spinning low.

Recipe:

1½ oz Cognac

¾ oz Tawny Port

½ oz Vanilla Bean Syrup

2 dashes Christmas Bitters (Angostura as a substitute)

Sugared Prunes

Instructions:

Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.

Strain into a chilled coupe or small Nick & Nora glass.

Garnish: Sugared Pruned on a cocktail pick.

If sugarplums ever danced in liquid form, this would be it.