Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
WHAT’S TRENDING Cognac COGNAC-BASED COCKTAILS ARE A MARKETING BONANZA Cachet S by Robert Plotkin teadily increasing sales of top-shelf spirits confirm that we as a nation have developed a taste for the good stuff. This heightened appre- ciation has brought about profound changes in how bartenders approach their art. For those times when an ordinary cocktail won’t do, savvy mixologists are now reaching for the nearest bottle of cognac. Its dynamic personality and skillfully cultivated flavors imbue cocktails with lip-smacking refinement. “We’re seeing a lot more interest in using cognac in drinks,” observes Ansley Coale, co-founder of acclaimed Germain-Robin and importer of Maison Surrenne cognac. “A good bartender doesn’t want to use something that doesn’t do justice to the other ingredients. A classy, upper-echelon brandy makes cleaner, subtler and more authentically flavorful cocktails that complement things like real fruit juices or hand-made bitters.” The prevailing wisdom is that the better the spirit, the better the cocktail. Where once using XO cognac in a Sidecar or French 75 was considered sacrilege, it’s now viewed as an evolutionary impera- tive, the irrepressible drive to improve one’s lot. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, offering guests impeccably prepared cocktails has become a com- mercial necessity. The Hennessy Berry, made with Hennessy V.S, shows the versatility of cognac as a cocktail mixer. 82 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1 Mixologist and consultant Ryan Magerian is a staunch advocate of marketing cognac-based cocktails. “What is cognac anyway but barrel-aged grape eau de vie? Is it that much more sanctified than barrel-aged malt or agave distillate? No, of course not. Cognac offers an elegant, beautifully flavored canvas on which to paint liquid masterpieces.” There’s simply nothing blasé about the spirit. When mixed, cognac contributes an alluring bouquet and exuberant, fruit-induced flavor. Add a modifier or two and you’ve got the making Pierre Ferrand Ambre is a favorite cocktail ingredient among in-the-know mixologists. PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERRE FERRAND. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOËT-HENNESSY USA