Take Your Pick: Different Courvoisier Blends And Editions
Like other Cognacs, Courvoisier has a range of blends, each with a unique flavor profile.
The VS of Courvoisier VS stands for Very Special. It refers to a blend whereby the youngest brandy used in production has been in a cask for at least two years. This mix of young and older Cognacs accords Courvoisier VS a subtle fruity taste. Its a very versatile Cognac, great with ginger ale or fruit juice.
Courvoisier Cognac VSOPwhich stands for Very Special Old Palehas been aged for four years or longer. Meanwhile, Courvoisier Cognac XOor Extra Oldhas been aged for at least six years.
Beyond that, theres the limited edition Sherry Cask Finish blend, matured in sherry casks for additional smoothness and dried fruit notes. Or Courvoisier Rose, which offers drinkers a combination of Cognac and premium French red wine grapes.
Meanwhile, LEsprit de Courvoisier is one of the worlds most highly regarded Cognacs, made from a 200-year old Eaux-de-vie and a serious status symbol.
Theres also Courvoisier Succession J.S., an exclusive and limited edition blend, now a highly coveted collectors item, created for the bi-centenary of Napoléons coronation. Or LEssence de Courvoisier du Dragon, which was released in 2012 to celebrate the Chinese year of the Dragon and comes in a Baccarat crystal bottle engraved with a golden dragon.
Courvoisier Sherry Cask Finish
A limited-edition Courvoisier, this cognac first ages in French limousin oak barrels for between two and eight years, then finishes maturing for four months in a sherry cask to add full-bodied smoothness and notes of sherry. It has notes of honey, almond, and dried fruit. Its suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $39.99.
Why Do Russians Like To Eat Cognac With Lemon
It is not known for certain whether this is true or fiction, but the custom of eating cognac with a slice of lemon became popular during the reign of Nicholas II. ToFortunately, this story does not apply to the noble cognac Courvosier. They say that when a certain Armenian cognac was brought to the court of the emperor for testing, its taste was so unpleasant that the king, in order not to offend his subjects, bit him with a slice of lemon, saying that he wrinkled from the acid of the fruit, and not from the taste and smell of the fruit itself. drink.
According to another version, again connected with Nicholas II, the empress already forced her husband to eat strong alcohol with a slice of lemon, as the latter interrupted the smell of alcohol she hated. One way or another, since those times in Russia it has become a kind of tradition to eat cognac with citrus slices. But in our article, we examined the noble “Courvoisier” – cognac, which must be drunk in accordance with all the rules, enjoying its delicate taste and aroma. After all, the French, who know a lot about wines, are also experts in cognacs, so they definitely wont advise bad things.
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Killer Courvoisier Cocktails In Honor Of National Cognac Day
Taste this trio of new twists on a classic cognac.
Just in time for National Cognac Day which, if you somehow dont already have it in your calendar is this Saturday, June 4 Frances legendary house of Courvoisier has unveiled a luxe new bottle design and packaging for its V.S., V.S.O.P. and XO marques.
The new look for the spirit, Napoleons favorite brandy, pays homage to the brands rich 200 year legacy of craftsmanship and innovation and include a visual interpretation of the Eiffel Tower where, Courvoisier was famously served at the monuments opening celebration in 1889.
Courvoisier, which operates from its stately chateau on the banks of Frances Charente River, sources eaux de vie from the crus of Grande and Petite Champagne, Boderies and Fin Bois to create its beloved blends. Its cognac is aged in handmade barrels from 200-year-old oak sourced from Frances Forest of Tronçais.
Courvoisier has also created some tasty cocktails in honor of National Cognac Day, for which weve secured the recipes:
Fresh Start
Ingredients: 1 ½ parts Courvoisier VS ½ part passion fruit puree ¼ part lime juice ginger beer 3-4 fresh raspberries.
Method: Build in cocktail shaker shake with ice and strain into large coupe glass top with ginger beer garnish with raspberries.
Ingredients: 1 ½ parts Courvoisier VS 1 part rye ¾ part Carpano Antica Benedictine Angostura bitters.
Method: Build in old fashioned glass and stir garnish with expressed orange peel.
First Blush
Common Ways To Drink Brandy And Cognac
Because of its inherent sweetness, brandy and cognac are often served as a digestif an after dinner drink. “The iconic way to drink brandy is neat in a big snifter glass,” Erickson says. “But it’s also great served on the rocks and mixes incredibly well in cocktails.”
“In a lot of senses, I think brandy is undervalued in the mixing world,” Erickson says. “It’s great at rounding out and softening other spirits in drinks or even swapping them out entirely.” The most well-known cognac-based cocktail is the Sidecar, which mixes cognac with dry Curacao and lemon juice.
“Brandy and cognac were often used in classic cocktails from New Orleans,” Erickson says. Golden age drinks like the Sazerac were originally made with cognac before shortages led to the base spirit being switched to rye whiskey.
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How To Drink Courvoisier Xo
You could certainly pour the Courvoisier XO into your favorite cocktails, even though most people would probably recommend sipping it neat when trying it for the first time. You could add a drop of water or a large, crystal-clear ice ball. Just beware of the fact that ice will take away some of the aromatic depth and hold back some of the flavors.
If you want a few cocktail ideas, check out our guide to the top 10 best cognac recipes.
What To Eat When You Drink Cognac
The rare spirit is inherently built for culinary pairings.
When drinks connoisseurs espouse the pleasures of food and alcohol pairings, theyre usually referring to wine, or craft beer, so rarely considering liquor. Indeed, many spirits are way too aggressive to pair with most foods and are better suited for enjoying alone, or after a meal. Thats not the case with cognac, however. So often seen as the height of contemplative luxuryto be sipped while smoking a cigar in your leather and mahogany-bound studyits actually the rare spirit inherently built for culinary pairings.
Cognac is, of course, a grape-based brandy from the Cognac region in southwestern France. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. In the case of Rémy Martin, its cognacs come exclusively from a blend of eaux-de-vieunaged spiritfrom the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne districts known as crus, with at least 50% of it being Grande Champagne.
These grapes are grown in chalky soils which lead to incredibly aromatic eaux-de-vie that are able to handle cask maturation for extended periods of time. In turn, that lengthy aging creates a flavor profile that is extremely complex. At times herbal and earthy, always warming on the palate, and with just a little spice in the finish.
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How Man Of Many Chose This List Of Cognac
While Man of Many are sticklers for research and certainly know a thing or two about Cognac, that didnt stop them from turning to the experts for this list. They compiled this list through the personal experience of author Christopher Osburn and online research from drinks critics and expert cognac reviewers. Man of Many only looked at higher-rated Cognacs through Dan Murphys reviews and took into account the major gripes and positives from the public. For the most part, theyre sticking with globally recognised names that you either know and love or should know and love, such as Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell, and Courvoisier, but theyre also throwing a few curveballs your way courtesy of their findings.
Aging In Our Signature Wood Barrels
Courvoisier meticulously hand selects French oak trees from sustainable forests with a 50/50 mix of tight grain to create our barrels. This provides an elegant hint of vanilla and a wide grain for spice and a fuller body – qualities necessary to achieve our Courvoisier house style.
Once the staves are cut from the oak trees, the wood is dried naturally and the barrels are completed by the master coopers, they are filled with the eaux-de-vie and the aging process begins.
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If Its Old Drink It Straight
As soon as there is any depth or complexity with a cognac, Desoblin says, it should not be used in cocktails. Save those pricey XO and hors dage spirits for sipping. Aged brandies have very delicate and subtle notes, and he suggests having them without mixers, food or even cigars. Desoblin prefers his cognac after dinner with little distraction. Prerequisites: no stress, anger or loud people around!
A Complete History Of Cognac Cocktails
While Americans are responsible for honing the art of cocktails, the real story begins much earlier and on the other side of the pond. In the UK, the British loved to concoct a puncha party drink that consisted of a large bowl of spirits, mixed with fruit juices, spices, and other flavors. It was incredibly popular during the 17th century amongst sailors when they ran out of beer and wine. They invented the drink to dilute overpowering spirits and make them more palatable.
Rum was the staple alcoholic ingredient of punch during that time. Cognac was increasingly difficult to acquire in England due to the constant wars against France and Spain. It didnt take long before this sailors concoction spilled over into wider societyand the concept of a mixed drink with an alcohol base was born.
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Great Drinks To Mix With Cognac
Cognac is the perfect spirit with which to experiment. From the simple addition of a block of ice through to the complexity of a multi-ingredient cocktail, theres many common and not-so-common additions that make for a wonderful taste experience.
Some examples include:
- Ginger ale: The spicy taste of ginger marries delightfully with Cognac. Use a highball glass, a shot of your favorite Cognac, and a generous portion of ginger ale. We particularly like it with Fever Tree Ginger Ale or, for an exotic twist, use the Fever Tree Spiced Orange Ginger Ale, which marries sweet clementine and cinnamon.
- Coca Cola: The time-enduring taste of Coke combined with a powerful eau-de-vie creates a flavor infusion that millions enjoy. For us, we mix our chosen Cognac with a splash of the fizzy stuff, ice, and a slice of lemon.
- Iced tea: It might not sound the most obvious choice, but Cognac and iced tea is an incredible twist on a drink thats a favorite with millions around the world. Mix 1.5 oz of VS or VSOP Hennessy Cognac with 0.5 oz of Grand Marnier, 2 oz of unsweetened cold tea, 1 oz of simple syrup, and 0.5 oz of fresh lemon juice. Shake it up with some ice in a cocktail shaker, garnish with a twist of orange, and voilayour drink is ready.
Courvoisier 21 Year Old Cognac
Courvoisiers 21-Year-Old marks the first time that a cognac from a Top house has been released with an age statement.
This cognac is blended from Eaux-de-vie which has matured for no less than 21 years allowing the maturing cognac to achieve its full aroma and flavor potential that is fruity and rich.
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How To Drink Cognac Neat
To enjoy this drink, first choose the right glass. A tulip-shaped wine glass is ideally used to drink cognac.
Just serve a shot of Cognac in a tulip-shaped wine glass. It should be 25 ml or 0.85 oz.
Warm the drink in your hands, take in its odor, swirl it a little and then take a sip.
Divine, right? Now enjoy your drink. It is better to drink cognac neat after dinner when there are no distractions.
If going neat is not your cup of tea, err.. glass of cognac, then we have some amazing options for you.
Best Cognac Brands To Drink Right Now
Hailing from their namesake region in Southwest France, the best cognacs deliver quality and character in equal measure. For those new to cognac, it might seem like a bit of a mystery. First of all, if you didnt know it already, cognac isnt whisky. It has far more in common with wine than it does with your favourite corn-based bourbon. It then goes without saying that each one has craftmanship down to a science, with the awards and reputation to show for it. Behind a number of these premium expressions are the most sought-after cognac houses on earth, most of whom have been around for decades. Pour some of their finest into the nearest sifter you can get your hands on and youll be sipping in style, indeed.
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The Us Enters The Race
The early 1800s saw the popularity of the cocktail begin to take off. The word cocktail first appeared on May 13, 1806, in Balance and Columbian Repository, a weekly magazine published in Hudson, New York.
The first famous Cognac cocktail was born courtesy of an apothecary from New OrleansAntoine Amadie Peychaud. Christened The Sazerac, it remains a firm favorite to this day.
Different cocktails begin appearing and by the 1900s the cocktail party was in full swing across America. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Orleans became cocktail hotspots. By this point, the drinks had evolved, becoming more complex, with the likes of the Cognac-based Stinger and Coffee Cocktail being examples of drinks being sipped by societys elite.
Other popular Cognac cocktail inventions included the Brandy Crusta and the Sidecar.
Other Types Of Brandy
Brandy is a very diverse family of spirits that goes beyond cognac. “There are a number of styles and ways to make brandy,” Erickson says. “Every producing region has their own traditions.”
There are as many different styles of brandy as there are places it’s made. Brandy de Jerez from Spain, Raki or Rakia in the Balkans and Mediterranean, and the grape-based Italian grappa are all standouts. There are also many brandies produced in California’s wine country by large and craft distillers alike. Here is a quick rundown of some of the most well known styles of brandy.
Eau de vie: French for “water of life,” eau de vie is a term that describes unaged brandy. Eau de vie is a clear spirit made to showcase the ripeness and freshness of the fruits used to produce it. This term is sometimes used to describe the fruit-based distillate before it is barrel aged.
Armagnac: Armagnac is a popular style of French brandy distilled in the Armagnac region Gascony, Southwestern France. It’s similar to cognac, but since it is produced in a different region with different traditions, has a different protected name. Compared to cognac production, armagnac brandies are produced by much smaller distilleries in smaller amounts more for local consumption.
Calvados: Made in the Calvados region of Normandy, Calvados is a French apple brandy distilled from hard apple cider. Along with Cognac and Armagnac, Calvados is a legally protected style of brandy.
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The Proper Way To Serve Cognac
The two main ways that cognac is served are on the rocks or straight. Basically, these terms just mean with ice or without.
Some people might judge you for sipping a glass of cognac served on the rocks because some cognac enthusiasts are adamant about sipping their drink straight. But you should enjoy your cognac however you prefer. The ice may water down the spirit a bit, but if you sip it promptly, you shouldnt have too much of an issue.
Certain styles of the drink work better for certain scenarios as well. For example, a cognac on ice is perfect for dinner. But if youre snacking on a dessert, it might be best to just drink it straight.
In terms of glassware, there is no specific vessel that cognac is served in. However, you do want to avoid balloon glasses. Theyre just too big. Balloon glasses will trap in the aromas of your cognac, which you dont want.
A tulip or white wine glass will work well for your cognac. Since cognac is made from wine, you want to be able to swirl it and sniff it.
So What Do You Mix With Cognac
You can mix cognac with water/soda, aromatic bitters, lemonade, vermouth, and tea. Nine cognac mixers on our list will surely satisfy your palate.
Whether you want to try a Japanese cocktail, Creme De Menthe, Milk Punch, or drink Cognac Margarita, you can use the mixers we listed above to spice your night or reward yourself after a long day.
So, what are you waiting for? Prepare your favorite cocktail glass with these mixers, and make yourself a delicious beverage. But remember, drink responsibly!
Reference:
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Best Pairings With Courvoisier Xo
A little finger food snack can go a long way with your preferred spirit. In this case, roasted almonds, slightly salted, or dried apricots make for an excellent flavor enhancer.
One particular, elegant French dessert would not only fit the overall theme but also make for an absolute match made in heaven: Crêpes Suzette. Since they offer a rich, caramelized orange note and zesty orange peel quality, they sit proudly next to the dried orange character of the XO. A piece of toasted brioche with a smear of foie gras and orange jelly would be just as heavenly.
Even though Im not the biggest fan of pairing cigars with high alcoholic beverages and neat spirits, this is a Cognac that would perfectly accompany an elegant Ecuador Habano wrapped cigar.