Mister Cocktail

Cognac and Hiphop…horse and carriage. You know what I mean, they get along just fine. In the mid ’90s, rappers like Tupac and Digital Underground started expressing their spirit of choice was Cognac, and more specifically the brand Hennessy. Despite several other brands having been named and ‘promoted’  in songs and videoclips, Hennessy was and still is the most loved brand of Cognac in this scene. Besides that, it also the world’s number 1 luxury spirit-brand (41.1 % marketshare and worth $ 4.6 billion).

It makes a lot of sense for Hennessy to use this to their full advantage in local markets where a thriving hiphop-scene is present as is the case in The Netherlands. One of the leading record-labels is Top-Notch, representing rappers like Sjaak, Sef, Dio, Faberyayo and Sticks, but also artists from different kinds of music: The Flexican, Drs P. and James Worthy.
These two brands have collaborated last year for the first time and they decided it was a good idea to continue this in 2012, under the name Hennessy Artistry. A great line-up, showcasing the versatility of this label, was mailed to me as an invitation and combined with a very promising  location I was expecting quite a party. Besides this, the dresscode was black tie with a twist so I expected quite a stylish party.

I arrived 1 hour after the party had kicked off and when I hung my coat I noticed I was rather late than early and the artists that were working on a huge painting were obviously even earlier present. A great crew of roaring 20′s styled hostesses made sure that the reception was very hospitable and that all guests were escorted to the 11th floor. The nightly view over Amsterdam was stunning of course and together with the necessary (but not excessive) branding of Hennessy, it was the perfect decor for an intimate night, filled with Cognac drinks and live music.

The crowd really excelled themselves in dressing up: the ladies in cocktaildresses, the gents in tuxedo and sneakers. The bar was a bit crowded as the thirsty crowd was looking for some nice cocktails made by one of the three cocktailshakers. I decided to stick with a Fine de Cognac on the rocks until the lines were a bit shorter. And then someone pointed out to me that there were bottles of X.O. in the cigar lounge. Joy oh joy! This night was for the incrowd: people affiliated with the Top Notch-label mainly for this event had some fierce competition: the première of Skyfall, drawing away some guests for sure, but the vibe was great and music even better.

I returned home buzzing from the great music and with a very nicely designed goodiebag. The art of blending was clear to me: mixing great live music and Hennessy cocktails, mixing high-street chique with street and creating fine blends of Cognac. If only they would organize this event more often!

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Very recently, the famous Cognac brand Rémy Martin has launched their VSOP Mature Cask Finish, replacing their iconic VSOP. That had been around from 1927. It has been especially created for the European market.

The bottle:

The bottle been given a restyling very recently: the matte-coating is removed, allowing us to see the beautiful amber contents of the bottle. The logo that is placed between the neck and the label has been upgrade to lack-look image of their Centaur-logo. The colouring of the label went from mainly red to stylish silver, just like the neck that was black on their previous VSOP. The label also shows the major change in the Cognac itself: Mature Cask Finish, something that awakens our curiosity.
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The nose: Elegant notes of spicy wood come through when one places the glass under ones nose, together with pleasant sweet floral and vanilla notes.
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The contents: The final ageing of this Cognac has been done in smaller casks, that are over 20 years old. The result is more exchange with the wood, giving it a somewhat peppery and pleasant tingle at first. The softness of the cognac shines through, bringing very nice tastes of dried fruit and a little vanilla. The aftertaste is long and rich, making it perfect to enjoy for a long time, small sips at a time.
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The mixability: I must say that this is one very versatile product: I really enjoyed it neat, both with and without ice, in a classic cocktail like the sidecar and in a simple mix, with Ginger Ale and squeeze of lime.

Rémy Martin is amongst the oldest of Cognac houses in the world. They produce their eaux-de-vie exclusively from grapes from the Fine and Grande Champagne-region, earning it the Fine Champagne Appellation. The qualification VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale, indicating a minimum ageing of 4 years.

Again, this is one of those cocktails who’s origins are covered in smoke, not entirely clear who was the first ever to create this drink. However, it was created at the end of WWI, in either London or Paris. In Paris, it is said that Harry macElhone created the drink in his famous Harry’s New York bar. A great drinks-author called David A. Embury writes in his book “Fine Art of Mixing Drinks” (1948): “It was invented by a friend of mine at a bar in Paris during World War I and was named after the motorcycle sidecar in which the good captain customarily was driven to and from the little bistro where the drink was born and christened”. This little bistro he calls for is assumed to be Harry’s New York Bar, but the owner of this bar, Harry MacElhone, credits someone else for inventing the cocktail in his own book: Pat MacGarry of Buck’s Club in London.

There are also several ways in which the drink was said to be prepared, and I’d suggest to try them so you can find your personal favourite. The French way of mixing the drink is 3 equal parts of Brandy, Triple Sec and fresh lemonjuice. The English way is 2 parts Brandy, 1 part Triple Sec and 1 part fresh lemonjuice. But of course your own taste matters most, so adjust it a little as you go.

Method:

Squeeze the fresh lemon juice (15 ml/0.5 oz) in your mixing glass and add 15 ml/0.5 oz Triple Sec (I use Cointreau) and 30 ml/1 oz Brandy (I use Cognac). Now you prepare the glass: take one squeezed half lemon and rim the top 1 inch/2 cm of your cocktailglass with the juice. After this you coat the outside with fine white sugar. By doing this, you add a little sugar with each sip, balancing the drink. You can also add 1 teaspoon fine white sugar in the drink and shake it along – this way you don’t need to sugarcoat the glass.

Now you shake all ingredients with lots of ice and strain this into the cocktailglass. No garnish is needed here.