To my mind, winter is about brandy, and there's no brandy like Cognac. Its also about tropical flavors and fruits. Remember, our comrades in the southern hemisphere are in the midst of summer at the moment. Speaking of south...

This cocktail is for my friends in South Carolina. Its named for an exclusive society centered on music in in Charleston, SC founded in 1766. So, this is an old. That punches, which are altogether better than cocktails, do hold sway in situations calling for a drink is a testament to our impatience, lack of appreciation of context, and the waning of the best things about us as a species.

My version is a bit different. I look to Nepal for the spice mix in the tea and substitute pineapple rum for peach brandy - a slight to Georgia that any good South Carolinian would appreciate. Time to tip one.

1 1/2 oz Cognac (1738 is awesome, if spendy Paul Masson works too)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Rum (I used Stiggins' Fancy from Planteray) 
1 oz Spiced Tea Syrup
1 oz Sparking Wine or Prosecco (no, do not use Champagne)
4 drops 20% Saline
Pineapple wedge
Coconut sugar

First, make the tea syrup. Any black tea, spiced any way you like will do - throw in an orange peel, vanilla bean, couple of cloves, etc. Here in Morgantown, we have the Tea Shoppe, a great spot for teas from around the world. I used their Nepali Breakfast tea, which is sort of Chai-spiced. For a syrup, simply substitute the tea for water in your typical 1:1 simple syrup.

For the garnish, cut some fresh pineapple to form a wedge and lightly coat it with coconut sugar. Then, using a torch or some source of flame, brulee the sugar on the wedge. Now, we build the drink.

Chill a Nick and Nora or Coupe glass thoroughly. Into a mixing glass, add all the ingredients sans garnish and sparkling wine. Adding the sparkling wine to the mixing glass will rob you of its prickly bubbles. Add ice and stir down the drink until thoroughly chilled. 

Fine strain the drink into your glass, then float the sparkling wine over the top. Garnish and enjoy.

Notes: You do not NEED pineapple rum. A simple split base of rum and brandy will do the trick. You can replace coconut sugar with regular brown sugar as well. A nutmeg and grater is a very wise choice here, and a must if making this in bulk.

Oh, and you definitely need to hit up the Tea Shoppe for late breakfast or lunch and a bewildering assortment of teas sourced from around the world.