A "Smooth Operator" may be all you need to start your weekend

2 cocktails: 6 cl cognac, 6 cl sweet vermouth, 4 cl Grand Marnier, 1 cm vanilla pod, ice.

Don't ask why or how. Somehow we came up with this curious name. It stirs odd memories of adolescence and long forgotten high-school dance parties. Again, don't ask why, it just does. This cocktail, however, is decisively non-adolescent.

No magic here. Just slice a small piece of a vanilla pod and scrape the syrupy liquid from its interior with a spoon. Add to shaker with the pods skin and other ingredients. Shake with ice and strain. Add a lemon twist if you feel like it.

Here, I particularly like the dark taste of cognac and how it is accentuated by the vanilla and sweet citrus notes from vermouth as well as by the characteristic flavours of the Curaçao-tpye "Red Ribbon" Grand Marnier liqueur. BTW, the latter is a blend including Cognac brandy. So this cocktail keeps everything more or less in the family.

Zum Wohl, cheers, enjoy.