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COGNAC By Amber Gibson
A REFINED FRENCH SPIRIT The noblest of French brandies, cognac is more versatile than you might think – and Cognac, France, is a beautiful agritourism destination to visit any time of year. Charente River in Cognac, France
A symbol of French luxury for centuries, cognac continues to inspire bartenders around the world today. It’s the spirit of choice in classic cocktails like the French 75, Sidecar, and Sazerac. If you’re curious to learn more about the drink, Cognac is a beautiful region and easily accessible via train from Paris. In just a few hours, you’re far from the city, north of Bordeaux, in a peaceful landscape that’s home to more vines than people. Summer is the busy tourist season, but the Cognac experience in winter is more intimate and exclusive since visitors can see first-hand the distilling process. By law, distilling may only occur from November through March in order to preserve the quality of the grape juice.
Courvoisier Cognac House
FAMOUS COGNAC HOUSES The four biggest cognac houses that you’ll find are Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, and Courvoisier. All have tours available to the public, but it’s Courvoisier that has the strongest French heritage. Visit the museum at its chateau and learn how it was the imperial supplier to Napoleon’s court and served at the Eiffel Tower inauguration in 1889. Courvoisier offers some pretty special tasting experiences too, allowing guests to bottle their own eau de vie straight from the barrel to bring home. This precious juice hasn’t yet been blended and is something you can’t find in stores. It’s quite strong though, so consider sipping it over ice or mixing it with tonic or ginger ale in a refreshing cocktail. At the Tonnellerie Doreau cooperage, a team of strong local men work year-round to craft oak barrels for aging cognac, wine, and bourbon. It’s a noisy and hectic assembly line environment, but the freshly toasted barrels smell like a bakery at Christmas. It’s a true team effort between grape growers, distillers, master blenders, and coopers to create Cognac’s liquid gold.
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