Friday, January 25, 2013

WHAT SHOULD BE COGNAC NIGHT?


The Liquor.com website caught my attention today as they mentioned that: "Irish whisky drinkers have St. Patrick’s Day and bourbon drinkers have the Kentucky Derby, but what do Scotch drinkers have? Burns Night. The holiday, which is tonight, celebrates the birth of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, back in 1759. Honor the man by trying one of these new single malts."
When I lived in Scotland I was lucky enough to acquire a book published in the mid-1800s from Robert Burns and signed in the 1990s by a descendant of Burns. So I know exactly what they are talking about.
Robert Burns and Scotch
Robert Burns and Scotch
Then, I thought what would be cognac day? Or rather cognac night?
Cognac has the blues festival. Or they have the cognac festival. But these are really more local events and public festivals. They have the Summit and la Part des Anges ... but these are more industry events and celebrations.
So the equivalent of Robert Burns in Cognac might be Odette Comandon who was a popular actress and story teller from the 50s to the 80s, and become director of the Académie de Saintonge. She exemplify, the Cognac  and regional identity as she was a perfect speaker of the local language called 'patois saintongeais', that is the local dialects.
Or is it Francois Mitterrand, enigmatic President of France from 1981 to 1995. I think this personality might be too politically loaded and therefore not so universal.
Perhaps, Francois 1er (1494 – 1547), born in the city of Cognac and King of France (1515-1547). I think he is a significant person in the history of cognac, but perhaps Francois 1er is too emblematic of the history of the city of Cognac, and cognac cannot be summarized by something to do with the city of Cognac only. In other words, perhaps Francois 1er is not inclusive enough.
What about Bastille Day? Really, it is too generic.
Should cognac night be in winter?
Most people think cognac is a winter drink. This is wrong. Try this. Ginger ale, ice cubes and a little drop of VS cognac and voila, the ultimate summer quencher. So cognac night would not have to be in winter.
If anybody has any suggestions please just comment as I am out of ideas.
Source: Liquor.com
Source Photo: Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and Wikipedia Commons

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