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Victorian Cognac Cocktails

Perhaps because we tend to think of cognac as the venerable grandfather of luxury spirits, the image of mixing it with anything which may contaminate its qualities has isolated it to the peak of individualism – only to be enjoyed by a certain type of aged gentleman, usually smoking a large cigar. On the other hand, perhaps we should thank the big cognac brands who, because of over selling the golden nectar to the Asian markets, are now forced to produce over sugared and caramelised young cognacs which are more readily accepted as suitable for cocktails.

During the mid-nineteenth century cognac became the biggest selling spirit in Britain with nearly sixty five million bottles being sold and the inevitability of cognac mixtures became a certainty. Indeed, Britain was the biggest single market for the spirit until phylloxera struck the vines in the mid 1870s.

Brandy was the obvious choice for mixing with other herbs and fruits as distilled grape wines were the easiest drinks to access for most people. The Benedictine monks in the twelfth century and the Troyan Monks in the fourteenth century who made the plum brandy known as Slivovitz, were famous for their concoctions made from herbs, nuts and fruits, variations of which are still available today. The fruit shrubs, made from vinegar are another form of pre-mixed herbal and fruit essence often used in connection with the modern day cocktail.

By the nineteenth century mixing brandies had become accepted. From the sixteenth century cognac was sold as a strong spirit to be cut back with water and indeed to many it was regarded as a strong wine. It was recorded in the American notes for General Distribution that in 1842, when Charles Dickens made his first trip to America, he made certain to partake of one of the greatest American inventions; the cocktail. Indeed the Cock Tail was the forerunner to the collective range of mixtures for which we use the same name now.  The recipe for the Cock Tail was written down by a Captain Alexander in 1833 and follows:

  • I tablespoon sugar or simple syrup
  • 2oz rye whiskey, rum or cognac
  • 3oz water
  • 4 dashes bitters
  • Nutmeg sprinkled on top.

Captain Alexander also described several other cocktail styled drinks that he had experienced in America including the Apple Toddy (baked apple pulp mixed with sugar, water and brandy) and the Port wine (Sangaree made with port, lemons, sugar and nutmeg).

This was not the first references to cocktails though, indeed during the reigns of the French Monarchy  from around Louis VI lemon was used to both provide a freshness to brandy and to clean the palate. However, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries spirits were used to make punches brought to our shores around 1632 by sailors of the East India Line. Most of these punches were of the Wassail type with either a wine or spirit base as evidenced in the first Punch House established in 1671. Historically the oldest known punch was the Bajan Rum Punch whose recipe was enshrined in rhyme. One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. These usually contained lemon, orange, pineapple and grenadine but virtually any fruits grown and mixed with the local spirit, or ships brandy taken from the Napoleonic warships, became the norm.

During the reign of Queen Victoria the use of more exotic fruits became favoured by the super-rich to identify themselves as well travelled and wealthy. Oranges, lemons and ginger were quite common additives.  Even some flowers, such as lavender, were used to supplement spices such as cinnamon, cloves and bergamot as well as Asian fruits, such as mangos and pineapple, which by now had become available in the wealthy areas of London.

Although white spirits were available in the Victorian era, they were not regarded in the purist way in which dark spirits were seen. White spirits, especially gin were seen more as cheap spirits which rendered ones senses to a state of inebriation. It wasn’t really until the turn of the twentieth century, when ice became more readily available, that their potential as a carrier of fruit and herb juices became obvious.

By the turn of the twentieth century many of the drinks discovered by the wealthy had started to attract a wider section of the population. The Mint Julip (1837) and the Gin Sling (1862), see below, complimented the more up-market Victorian bars and meeting places as well as the Brandy Alexander, made with chocolate and cream and its variants made with coffee from a brandy base. There were other variations that used banana and cream, also chocolate which perhaps may explain the wide girth of some of the wealthy Victorians.

Mint Julip  (1837)

  • 6-12 sprigs of mint
  • 1 tablespoon fine sugar or sugar syrup
  • 1 ½ oz brandy
  • 1 ½ oz peach brandy

The Gin Sling  (1862)

  • 1 tablespoon fine sugar
  • 2oz gin
  • 1oz water
  • Ice and nutmeg

Most of the cocktails used around the turn of the twentieth century were based on what was available and although the exotic drinks could be found in exclusive bars, such drinks as B and S (Brandy and Soda) and The Horses Neck (brandy and ginger ale) were easy to prepare. Sometimes the lemons and oranges (or mandarins), were combined with sugar to form variations on the more modern Sidecar cocktail where sweeter liqueur drinks such as Cointreau and Grand Marnier are mixed with cognac and lemon juice. Eliminating the orange liqueur and adding sugar, leaves one with a delicious Brandy Sour.

Combinations of the various flavours that were available to the Victorians and their brandies included drinks for every time of the day. Fruit liqueurs and eggs referred to as nogs were sometimes prepared for breakfast whilst brandies and lemons, sometimes mixed with sugar, were used as an aperitif before lunch.  However, the most traditional brandy drink was the neat cognac, often very old and served after dinner with a large cigar as the final drink of the day before retiring to face another day.

1. Courvoisier Tribute Borderies and Hermitage 1914 Cognac

There have been some interesting new products launched this past quarter, all with interesting price tags!  Here are our thoughts on 4 of them:

Courvoisier Tribute Borderies has been released in 5 demi-johns costing £51,500 each.  This 60 year old cognac comes from a single estate in the lesser known Borderies cru and if presented bottled, works out at £1197 per bottle.  Borderies is the smallest cru and produces some very fine cognac such as our award winning Hermitage 1914.  Aged, we estimate, for 70 years this exceptional vintage can be purchased for £300 less at £895.

2. Frapin 25 yo and Hermitage 25 yo Cognac

Frapin has launched a 25 year old vintage cognac, laid down in 1988 and bottled at 41.5% abv.  With style characteristic of a Grande Champagne cognac, just 1000 bottles have been produced retailing at £160 a bottle.  Compare this with our own award winning Grande Champagne cognacs – Hermitage Chez Richon 1988 which retails for just under £100 and Hermitage Segonzac 25 year old priced at just over £100.

3. Cointreau Noir and La Grande Josiane Orange Liqueurs

Cointreau Noir is a blend of orange liqueur and Fine Champagne Cognac retailing at £39.95 for 70cl. Before you spend that kind of money though, take a look at La Grande Josiane – a subtle alliance between Bas Armagnac and orange liqueur.  An ideal combination as the lower distillation range of armagnac produces a stronger fruit flavour and to top it all, the purchase price is under £25.

4. Hine 2005 and Hermitage 2000 Cognac

The first release from their recently acquired Domaines vineyards in Bonneuil, Hine 2005 is a single estate, Grande Champagne cognac retailing at £73.95.  Quite a price for such a young cognac – compare it with our award winning Hermitage 2000 (£38.62) and Hermitage 10 year old (£48.67) – both more mature Grande Champagne cognacs, also from single estates.

The Cognac Process – Part 12. Establishment of a Cognac Regulatory Body

Many of the established growers and merchants recognised the need to establish a body to control and manage the quality and sale of cognac. Much of the preliminary work had been done before the Second World War and a great deal of de facto independence from the government had already been gained – the Charente region had been divided into crus in 1909, as a natural consequence of the system of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée,  and  the geographical areas had been delimited by government in 1936. During the War a wine and eaux de vie bureau was created to try and protect the cognac stocks.  After the War this organisation was made official and The Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac or BNIC was established.  The existing Station Viticole’s cognac research laboratories were also placed under its wing and so the BNIC’s role of managing every aspect of cognac production and sales began.

Our Hermitage 1947 is a classic vintage cognac from the post war era, produced at the outset of the BNIC’s establishment.

Cognac Houses Should Be Different, Not Follow The Crowd

Cognac expert Ed Bates, speaking at a tasting in London recently, highlighted the stylistic and commercial stranglehold that the big four houses have on the industry (they have 80% of the cognac market).   In order to compete, most of the other houses “try to copy Hennessy XO because the world, or Asia, thinks that cognac tastes like Hennessy XO”.  They do have another option though, he says, which in the longer term could be more beneficial.  Making the individuality of their terroir (which includes factors such as the skill of the distiller, still, casks, cellar etc.) their unique selling point (USP) would set them apart from the competition.  As the Chinese market, which thrives on the blended generic labels, slows down the more opportunity unique products will have to gain wider recognition.  Ed Bates is convinced that concentrating on quality and what sets your cognac apart is the way ahead as this ensures that the maître de chai is in charge of style not the marketing director.  Here at Hermitage Cognacs we couldn’t agree more, we have always been clear about our USP – exceptional cognac from single estates, each with a ‘number on the bottle’ to confirm its provenance.

Alcohol Duty Escalator abolished but WSTA calls for a further 2% Duty reduction

The ‘Call Time On Duty’ Campaign, spearheaded last year by The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), successfully resulted in the government’s alcohol and duty escalator (ADE) being scrapped in the 2014 budget.  The Campaign set out to have the automatic year-on-year tax increases abolished as they were undermining the competitiveness of the industry.  This is great news for the UK Spirits Market because since the ADE’s introduction in 2008, tax on spirits has increased by a staggering 44%.  Duty is currently calculated at a rate of £28.22 per litre of pure alcohol.  This means that for a 70cl bottle of cognac with an abv of 40%, the duty to be paid is £7.90.  This duty is then added to the cost of the cognac before VAT is calculated so in effect, the consumer is taxed twice.  For example, this bottle of Hermitage 1989 Cognac has £8.69 duty plus £14.07 VAT included in the price of £84.42.  Good cognac, which is produced in limited quantities, will therefore always be more expensive than ordinary brandy.

It will be some time before the benefits of eradicating the ADE are realised and with On Trade spirits sales down 5% in the last quarter, the WTSA are now calling on the Chancellor to go even further with his tax reforms.  Their ‘Drop The Duty’ Campaign, which calls on the government to cut alcohol duty by a further 2% in the 2015 budget, has been launched and we are right behind them!

The Charente Scene – Winter 2015 in the Cognac Producing Region

A Good Vintage?

Every year, around this time we start to get the full picture of the cognac production for 2014.  Most of the new spirit will have been distilled and placed in new oak barrels and for the first time we are able to establish both the quality and quantity produced.  Last September was dry and sunny and the grapes grew well during the year.  Despite storms earlier in the year, which affected some areas to the west of Cognac, this year’s harvest was good.  Indeed so good, it seems likely to have exceeded the big 1988 harvest.  It is expected that around 825hl of pure spirit has been produced, which in terms of bottles is around 295 million bottles at 40%, and the quality is very good with lots of fruit showing through.  Obviously the high quality will drive the price up but demand, which is not high at the moment, should bring it back down to within a few points of last year.  How nice to be able to report such good news at the beginning of the year.

Whatever will they think of next?

The whisky industry is not dissimilar to the cognac industry in many ways.  It has lots of small producers and age statements are very important to its target audience.  However, whisky producers have always been more aware of consumer trends than cognac producers and are constantly looking for new marketing routes.  But this latest idea of selling whisky in a can has to be the most unusual yet.

The most unusual presentation we have had to date is an apple in a bottle – how do they do that?