THE FRENCH EVOLUTION THE 'SPIRIT' OF FRANCE: FROM APÉRITIFS TO COGNAC By Jeffery Lindenmuth erhaps because wine is so firmly en- Calvados trenched in Gallic culture, we often Pforget that that many of the world’s ARMAGNAC finest and most successful spirits also hail Cognac’s country cousin, Armagnac, is from France. Whenever we sip an aromatic also an aged grape brandy, but it is single aged Cognac by the fireside, pour a billowing distilled in column stills and production is pastis to welcome the apéritif hour, or enjoy a mere 1% of the volume of Cognac. Ar- the subtle whisper of vermouth in a dry mar- magnac, like Cognac, can use the desig- tini, we are indebted to France’s distillers. nations of VS, VSOP and XO to indicate Cognac increasing age, but more often Armagnac includes a vintage year, harkening back to COGNAC its vinous roots. Calvados Brandy is simply distilled wine, so it makes Cognac Armagnac sense that the very best should emerge from Armagnac a wine loving nation like France, notably the CALVADOS brandy of France’s Cognac region. According to Jean-Louis Carbonnier, representative for One of France’s more elusive brandies comes Schlem, Boulard portfolio director for Palm Cognac U.S.A., what makes Cognac special not from grapes at all, but apples. Calvados Bay International. among brandies are the stringent regulations is crafted in the region of lower Normandy, Incredibly, at the recent San Francisco that ensure quality and typicity in much the where its double distillation and minimum World Spirits Competition, it was an XO same way that wine France’s AOC wine laws of two years in oak give it a stature similar to Calvados from Père Magloire that took Best do. “Cognac is an extremely well-defined Cognac. While this small category represents in Show among brandies, beating all the bran- region of production, with set traditions in under 50,000 cases annually in the U.S., dies, Cognacs and Armagnacs in attendance. viticultural, winemaking and distilling prac- Calvados’ rich, distinctive flavor makes it a kitchen staple for legions of chefs and pastry tices,” says Carbonnier. “The spirit is twice distilled in pot stills, then aged in barrels chefs. In a recent cocktail competition using made only for Cognac. They cannot use bar- Boulard, the number one selling Calvados CLASSIC COCKTAIL rels from Kentucky which means the spirit in the world, many mixologists seemed to ESSENTIALS has freshness and acidity, not dominated by look to the kitchen for inspiration, crafting American oak.” cocktails that married Calvados with pears, Without the spirits of France, our cocktail lists The four leading producers of Cognac are cream, cinnamon and ginger. would be tragically trimmed—no sidecars, no familiar names in connoisseur and popular cul- Not surprisingly, regions of the U.S. margaritas, not even a cosmopolitan in sight. ture circles alike, where hip-hop artists craft that are simpatico with Normandy and its In these drinks a measure of the sweet orange clever rhymes around iconic names like Rémy apple culture are among the best markets liqueur triple sec provides the perfect balance Martin, Courvoisier, Martell and Hennessy. for Calvados. “It took me a while to figure for a burst of acidic lime juice or a dash of These four producers are responsible for about this out when we took on Boulard Calva- tart cranberry. With the inclusion of three 75%-80% of Cognac production, but there are dos, but the states of Washington, Michi- different kinds of sweet and bitter, fresh and over 6,000 small growers and producers of Co- gan and New York seem to have a real dried orange peels, Cointreau, from Rémy gnac, according to Carbonnier. appreciation for Calvados,” explains Gary Martin, is a super-premium triple sec that THE FRENCH EVOLUTION works beautifully in all these cocktails. to be rationed with an eyedropper, but The distillers maintain that each of the one that nicely cuts the burn of gin and 15 million bottles sold annually includes is very enjoyable on its own. OH, the equivalent of three oranges. Unlike the crystal clear Cointreau, ABSINTHE with its neutral spirits base, Grand Marnier is a French orange spirit based THE AFTER on Cognac aged up to 10 years. Aging DINNER DRINK th in French oak casks makes the popular ack in the 19 century, absinthe, Long before we were enjoying cel- that controversial anise-flavored Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge rich, rounded and darker in color than or- ebrated contemporary elderflower and spirit, was all the rage at cafés and B dinary triple secs. “Grand Marnier is ginger liqueurs like St-Germain and brasseries throughout Paris. First market- actually a delicious base on its own, Domaine de Canton, there was B&B, ed by Henri Louis Pernod, absinthe, made as it already includes all the required which melded Bénédictine liqueur of anise, wormwood and fennel, melded elements for a good cocktail: Cognac with French brandy, based on the perfectly with the glamorous spirit of the as the base spirit and tropical oranges recipe of a 1930s New York barman. era. Purported to cause hallucinations as the flavor. Cordon Rouge has a dis- Subtly spiced and smooth, B&B still and plunge imbibers into madness, once tinctive finish in cocktails, but I also thrives today, savored in either snifter it became banned, the forbidden allure for love it chilled as an apéritif or to start form or in a cocktail like the “B&B the drink—known as the “Green Fairy” for an evening,” says Alexandra Marnier- Legendary Sidecar.” its vibrant hue—intensified. Lapostolle, great-granddaughter of the Finally, after an almost hundred year creator of Grand Marnier. hiatus, absinthe has made its way back The Grand Marnier family of li- MODERN SPIRITS into U.S. bars, giving consumers a chance queurs also includes the anniversary to savor the spirit and take themselves editions Cuvée du Centenaire and Cu- Not ones to be mired in tradition and back to a grand chapter in France’s liba- vée du Cent Cinquantenaire, crafted ancient recipes, no matter how deli- tion history. Brands like Lucid (imported with Cognacs up to 50 years old, as well cious, France also competes in today’s by Viridian Spirits), Grand Absente (Crillon as Navan Natural Vanilla Liqueur. In- hottest international spirits categories, Importers), Pernod Absinthe (Pernod novative recipes using all these liqueurs including gin and vodka. Since Cognac Ricard) and La Fée Absinthe Parisienne can be found on the free iPhone appli- production is limited by the grape har- are among those products now being cation, GMcocktail. vest and French regulations, Pierre Fer- shipped here from France. “French” vermouth, a white wine rand cleverly created Citadelle gin— While one can easily sample absinthe at fortified with spirits and layers of bo- crafted from wheat in a Cognac pot bars and restaurants across the country— tanical flavors, is another staple of any still, flavored with 19 botanicals and and experience the romantic ritual of using well-stocked cocktail bar. At the time briefly aged in oak casks in a final nod of its introduction to the U.S. in 1844, a slotted spoon to dissolve a sugar cube to Cognac. Noilly Prat French Vermouth, dry and in a glass of absinthe—one of the ways According to NABI, France ex- based on white wine, was a revolution- today’s consumer is enjoying absinthe is ported to the United States more vodka ary counterpart to Italian Vermouth, mixed in a cocktail. than any other country in the world in which was made with red wine. Today terms of value, and was second only to the country of origin is a less accurate Sweden in volume. With $563 million Lazone’s MARTINI description, since French producers, reported, France represents almost 40% Original recipe from Dale DeGroff like Noilly Prat, produce both sweet of the total imported vodka category (red) and dry (white) vermouth. In Jan- here, and 25% of the volume. 1 oz. Plymouth Gin uary of this year, Noilly Prat announced Many of France’s vodkas also seem 1 oz. Southern Comfort the return of the original Noilly Prat ¾ oz. fresh lime juice to remain firmly rooted in France, Dash of Absinthe Dry recipe of 1813, aged in oak casks, including Cîroc, which is distilled Dash Peychauds Bitters to the U.S. market. It’s this French ver- from Cognac grape varieties. Bacardi mouth that made possible the cocktail U.S.A.’s Grey Goose, also produced Assemble all the ingredients in a cocktail we revere today as the dry martini, and shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a in Cognac, is available in a handful of chilled martini glass. Garnish with a spiral of many mixologists now acknowledge French-sounding flavors, including La lime peel. that vermouth is not a fortified wine Poire, L'Orange and Le Citron. Grey PASSION OF FRANCE THE FRENCH EVOLUTION 2 parts Grey Goose 1/3 part vanilla flavored (Monin) syrup 1 fresh passion fruit Goose is the number-one vodka in segment, a testament to our enduring 3 small fresh pineapple chunks n fresh lemon squeeze terms of loyalty according to the 2009 love of French spirits. Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engage- In a cocktail shaker, muddle fruit. ment Index and earlier this year posted Add all other ingredients, shake nearly a two point year-over-year gain For additional information, please visit: vigorously and double strain into a chilled martini in its U.S. retail value share percentage www.armagnac.fr glass. Garnish with half a passion fruit floating. www.cognac.fr of the premium/super-premium vodka Roby Wolf FRENCH COCKTAIL HOUR WE ASKED THE 10 MIXOLOGISTS-TO-waTCH FOR THEIR FAVORITE FRENCH COCKTAIL RECIPE WAR OF THE ROSES Lemon twist - squeeze over Dash Fee’s Aromatic Bitters ROBY WOLF Mike Ryan, The Violet Hour, drink to release oils; pass Dash Regan’s Orange Bitters Corey Bunnewith, Drink, along rim of glass; then float in Boston Chicago Stir, strain and add ice into cocktail.