Last year we were delighted to announce the success of our Hermitage Provenance Cognacs winning Gold medals at The Cognac Masters – a blind tasting competition with an independent panel of expert judges – but our latest news is even better!  Just before Christmas we were thrilled to be announced as The Spirits Business Cognac Grand Master.  A real accolade, designed to emphasise excellence in the spirits industry, it confirmed Hermitage Cognacs as the best cognac house in the entire competition. Click here to view the entire range and judge for yourself.

As the New Year rolls in the cognac distillers will be checking the ‘chais’ (cellars) and their existing stocks of cognac in barrels from previous years.  Of course there are hundreds of old cellars all over the Cognac region, each containing large quantities of barrels in a range of sizes, the most common being 350 litres.  Each barrel will have its own characteristics and will impart slightly different qualities into the cognac. This ageing process begins annually after distillation, which must be completed by 31 March.  To provide an initial boost the newly distilled spirit is put into new oak… Read more

Ingredients: 6 large eggs, separated ¾ cup of caster sugar 2 cups of whole milk 3 cups of double cream ½ cup of bourbon, ¼ cup of dark rum, ¼ cup of cognac Freshly grated nutmeg for sprinkling Method: Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl until they become thickened and pale in colour. Then slowly beat in the sugar, followed by whisking in the milk and 2 cups of the cream. Gently mix in the bourbon, rum and cognac. Cover and place in the fridge for up to a day. When ready to serve, beat the egg whites to stiff… Read more

Ingredients: ¾ oz Cognac ½ oz Grand Marnier ¼ oz Campari 3 ozs Champagne Slice of orange Method: Place the Cognac, Grand Marnier and Campari in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a wine goblet, top with the Champagne and a slice of orange. Original recipe from The Cognac Expert

      Ingredients: 180g butter 180g soft brown sugar 2 teaspoons grated orange zest 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 50g ground almonds 3 tablespoons cognac Method: Ensure that the butter is cool and firm.  Dice and cream a little. Add the sugar and cream further, but don’t over do it. Add the orange, lemon and ground almonds. Slowly add the cognac a tablespoon at a time and if you prefer, add a pinch of nutmeg,  cinnamon or the insides of a vanilla pod.  Make in advance, cover tightly and store in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for longer. Original recipe from… Read more

Ingredients: Two litres dark rum One litre cognac of your choice (a VS or your favourite VSOP) Two litres water One litre lemon juice (with 1 ½ cups of sugar dissolved into it) Couple of hefty slugs of peach brandy. Chill all the ingredients in the fridge for a few hours then place in a large bowl and mix together. Serve with plenty of ice. Original recipe by The Cognac Expert  

Ingredients:           1 (12 to 14 pound) uncooked smoked ham, bone-in           1 cup dark brown sugar           1/4 cup Cognac           Watercress, for garnish           Parsley, for garnish Method Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap ham completely with parchment-lined foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Transfer ham to oven and bake 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap ham; discard parchment and foil. With a large, sharp knife score fat in a diamond pattern, making the lines about 3/4 inch apart. Transfer ham to a large roasting pan. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. In a small… Read more

Ingredients: 75ml frozen Gin 10ml Cognac 10ml White Creme de Cacao Dash of Sambuca Miniature Christmas pudding Method: Pour all of the ingredients, except for the Sambuca, into a mixing glass with ice and stir, before straining into a chilled cocktail glass. Using either spoon or a metal cocktail stirrer, dip a mini Christmas pudding into a small liqueur glass filled with Sambuca and soak, before lighting your pudding and dropping it into the prepared cocktail. Original recipe published by the drinks business

“Christmas” we say with a sigh of disbelief, we have only just recovered from the last annual triumph of food and drink only to be confronted with identifying that special and very personal present for the person in our lives who means so much to us. This year, they say Christmas is for sharing, it is the 2014 theme for retailers so I thought I would share some trade thoughts with you, our unique and individual customers. Cognac has always been a favourite of ageing fathers and grandfathers, I know, I fit the category myself, but did you know that… Read more

Ingredients: For the Cake:  1 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups sieved plain flour,  1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 large eggs, 2 tsps. baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup milk, zest of 2 lemons.  For the Glaze:  1/3 cup Cognac, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar.  For Decorating: 24 Candied Lemon Slices, Candied Kumquats Method: 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour two 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside. 2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 3.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt…. Read more