It’s not every day that you get to drink and dine with a master distiller, let alone one from France. Courvoisier‘s master distiller, Benoît de Sutter, was recently in town and we had the unique opportunity to learn and dine with him at the impressive Nomad Hotel rooftop. Spending an entire evening tasting and learning about cognac gave me a whole new outlook on this often overlooked liquor.
The pairing dinner began with a refreshing snow pea salad, along with a Courvoisier VSOP ‘Gold Rush’ cocktail. This easy introduction to the spirit was a great way to ease into something that many are scared to try. The cocktail was well-balanced and not too sweet nor too strong. For the second course, we paired our beef entree with a Courvoisier XO ‘French Manhattan,’ which was a bit stronger, but a great twist to your typical Manhattan. Allowing us to try cognac within cocktails was a great way to show its versatility.
Next, we enjoyed an ample slice of carrot cake, along with Courvoisier Sherry Cask Finish. But it’s the next two expressions that really impressed us. After our dinner, we were honored to try Courvoisier Initale Extra. This rare blend of eaux-de-vie combines Grande Champagne and Borderies crus, and is aged anywhere from 30-50 years. Flavors reminiscent of old port wine, truffle and fruitcake make this our absolute favorite of the batch and an absolute must-splurge item for your bar cart.
Last, but certainly not least, we sipped L’Essence de Courvoisier, a truly exquisite blend of very rare cognac reserves which date all the way back to early 1900! These, combined with cognacs from the laster 20th century, create an incomparable cognac. Flavors of dried plum, apricot and licorice will linger on your tongue long after you’ve tried it.
While most people save their cognac drinking for after dinner, don’t write off this versatile and expressive liquor as just a digestif. Try adding it into cocktails, or sipping it while reading a good book and you might just find it’s your new favorite drink.
