Landrace, the award-winning restaurant run by James Beard Award finalist Steve McHugh, returns to the Tour this year with another original take on the classic dessert cocktail. Located on the ground floor of the Thompson Hotel, Landrace is a beautiful restaurant deserving of an equally beautiful cocktail.

Airika Serna is who we have to thank for this delicious and picturesque cocktail. She knocked it out of the park considering she had never even heard of the classic cocktail before we came calling. But she quickly whipped up the traditional version to see what all the fuss was about (and to get a slight buzz during her shift no doubt), and got to work on this year’s recipe.

Airika, a cider-sipping San Antonio native (John Jay High School btw) who loves Hello Kitty, wanted to enhance the delicate apricot flavor found in Kinsman with something more pronounced. She choose Giffard Abricot du Roussillon liqueur for a more prominent sweet apricot flavor and to lend subtle hints of vanilla and caramel to the cocktail.

She also included a half-ounce of lemon juice, which is definitely uncommon in the Brandy Alexander world, but who cares! It balances out the sweetness of the blackberry syrup and adds a pleasant brightness to the cocktail. Trust me (or Airika), it works!

But it’s probably best not to take my word for it. Visit Airika now through NYE and see for yourself why the Brandy Berry Bash is sure to be a star on this year’s Tour.