The American Beauty is a classic cocktail that was first published in The Stork Club Bar Book by Lucius Beebe in 1946. Similar to the Enchantress, it pairs brandy with ruby port wine and adds vermouth, a hint of mint liqueur, and citrus juice. It also uses rose petals as the garnish as a nod to its name, which comes from the long-stemmed roses that are typically carried by beauty queens after being crowned in beauty pageants.
Add brandy, orange juice, vermouth, grenadine, and crème de menthe to a shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer, strain into a Nick & Nora glass.
Using a bar spoon, carefully float red wine on top.
Garnish with rose petals.