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Connecting with Coganc
CONNECTING with Cognac
Modern-Day Bartenders Embrace a Centuries-Old Spirit
By Michael Tulipan
VERSATILE, METICULOUSLY CRAFTED, AND ENJOYING A HERITAGE THAT STRETCHES BACK CENTURIES, COGNAC COUNTS AMONG ITS FANS DISCERNING BARTENDERS AND COCKTAIL AFICIONADOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
The spirit is also the worldwide ambassador for the region of the same name in the Southwest of France. This maritime province lies alongside the country’s Atlantic coast, which, with the Charente River, influences the climate and the soil of the A.O.C. Perhaps surprisingly, Cognac holds the fourth largest vineyard area in France at 78,000 hectares. In all, the region is home to 4,276 winegrowers, 117 professional distillers, and 283 cognac houses, according to The Bureaux National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC).
Winemaking in the Cognac region dates to the 1st century A.D. and the Roman era. With the emergence of international trade in the 11th century, particularly with Holland, wine production grew quickly. The region had already developed a reputation for its salt, and in the 16th century marshlands were drained to increase production. Since the wine had a long journey on ship, the Dutch found it more palatable if distilled when they returned home. Once the traders realized it was better to distill in France, they started building stills along the Charente River. In 1643, the first Cognac house Augier was formed and others, like Martell founded in 1715, soon followed. Second distillation, a requirement today, was introduced in the 17th century. The industry thrived until, as in the rest of France, phylloxera devastated the country’s vineyards, and it took decades to rebuild using rootstock from the United States.
The base of all cognac must be grapes grown within the six crus of the region as designated by French law. The grapes, the vast majority of which are Ugni Blanc, are first made into wine before being twice distilled over open flame in copper pot stills and then aged in oak for a minimum of two years. Ugni Blanc is low in alcohol and high in acidity, which helps during fermentation and stabilizes the wine before distillation. Distillation is done either with lees or not, depending on the house. Cognac distilled with lees is generally richer with more character and considered more age worthy.
The next step in a cognac’s journey is aging, and this is determined by the precise calendar established by French law. Distillation must occur by March 31st following the harvest and the aging clock begins on April 1st. Aging takes place in toasted French oak barrels, and producers choose from barrels with large grains, fine grains, or both. The larger grains allow for more wood interaction and introduce additional tannins.
Cognac must be aged for a minimum of two years, though many are aged much longer and blended into the various tiers designated V.S., V.S.O.P. or X.O. The type of cellar also greatly influences the development of the eau-de-vie with humid cellars allowing for more alcohol to evaporate, fostering more round, tropical forward spirits, while dry cellars have less evaporation, and the spirit develops drier, spicy, woody notes. The longer it ages, the more oxidative changes occur, deepening floral and fruit flavors. Some Cognacs age for an extended period, allowing for the development of “Rancio” or Rancio Charantais. Commonly found in cognacs aged more than ten years as well as other fortified spirits like Madeira, Rancio introduces deeper flavors like leather, cigar, earthiness, and nuttiness.
Bartenders are broadening the occasions for cognac and the spirit’s seasonality. As the trade continues to familiarize and embrace the range and versatility of the spirit, mixologists are honing in on the taste profile of different brands and aging categories to create cocktail recipes with cognac all year round.
Any great cognac is the result of the mastery of the blend and master blenders artfully construct their cognacs from a variety of barrels with different ages. Cognac labels are adorned by initials that represent the age statements of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend, with V.S. “very special” or “3 stars” having a minimum two years of age and the V.S.O.P. “very special old pale” at least four years. The pinnacle of cognac making and the traditional sipping category is X.O., which stands for “extra old,” with the youngest eau-de-vie having been aged for a minimum ten years. First introduced in 1870 by Maison Hennessy in 1870, this category showcases the age-ability of the spirit. While previously the minimum was six years for X.O. that age level has now been designated “Napoleon.” In practice, the best cognacs include eau-de-vies much older than the required minimum.
Almost 98% of cognac is exported outside France, with the United States as the world’s leading consumer. Here cognac’s ongoing renaissance has been fueled by a confluence of events, including widespread adoption by the hip-hop community and the resurgence of classic cocktail culture.
“Bartenders are broadening the occasions for cognac and the spirit’s seasonality,” reports the BNIC. “As the trade continues to familiarize and embrace the range and versatility of the spirit, mixologists are honing in on the taste profile of different brands and aging categories to create cocktail recipes with cognac all year round.”
Cognac has long been a key component in cocktails, from the Sidecar to Vieux Carré, making for a natural substitute for various types of brandy in many recipes. You could also dig up a bit of history and serve a Corpse Reviver No. 1, which may be less known than No. 2, but is arguably better due to the marriage of cognac, calvados, and sweet vermouth. This cocktail first appeared in the seminal The Savoy Cocktail Book.
The BNIC continues to support the bartender community through education initiatives in the United States. In 2020, the program pivoted online to include the Cognac Connection Challenge, a national competition for bartenders with webinars and Instagram lives that served to further cognac education and generate engagement. Ten winners were each awarded a $1,000 stipend and will embark on a cognac discovery tour in 2022. The organization also hosts educational events that showcase the versatility of cognac for a variety of occasions and as a delicious, often unexpected food pairing such as cheese and cognac or sushi and cognac.
Even as brands innovate and attract a new generation of enthusiasts, the storied legacy of cognac will continue to be closely protected by the BNIC, ensuring a consistently high-quality spirit worthy of being an ambassador for this ancient grape growing region.
