AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS INDUSTRY HAS ALMOST X10 IN 10 YEARS

The last time I check just about 4 or 5 years ago there were approximately 250 distilleries in the USA.

Now this week the Spirits Business announces 1315 distilleries in the USA.

What happened?

The US craft spirits industry is booming according to The American Craft Spirits Association (ASCA) and the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR).

American Craft Spirits Association Logo

Through collaboration these two organizations are currently running a research called the 'Craft Spirits Data Project'.

Main Findings from the Craft Spirits Data Project:

• The U.S. craft spirits industry is growing rapidly. As of August 2016, there were 1,315 craft distillers active in the U.S. The U.S. craft spirits market reached 4.9 million cases and $2.4 billion in retail sales in 2015, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.4 percent in volume and 27.9 percent in value between 2010 and 2015. The market share of U.S. craft spirits reached 2.2 percent in volume and 3.0 percent in value in 2015, up from 0.8 percent and 1.1 percent in 2010, respectively.
• Exports offer an additional runway for growth. Exports of U.S. craft spirits reached 523,000 cases in 2015, adding more than 10% of additional volume to U.S. craft distiller total sales.
• Employment and investment are on the rise among craft distillers. In 2016, the industry employed over 12,000 full-time employees (FTEs). Investments by the U.S. craft industry have reached close to $300 million in 2015, which primarily covered the build out of tasting rooms and other visitor experiences, equipment to increase production capacity, and associated labor costs.
• Geographically, the study found the US craft distilling market to be “concentrated”, with the top five states (states containing the highest number of craft distilleries) making up 35.6% of the category: California, New York, Washington, Colorado and Texas.
• The next five states – Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida – comprise an additional 16.5% of the market.

Source: The Spirits Business; Craft Brewing Business

MILLENNIALS NEED EDUCATION SAYS ERIC VALLAT CEO OF REMY MARTIN

Remy Martin wants millennials in the U.S. to drink cognac. It hopes that its U.S. launch of La Maison Remy Martin, which educates consumers on the intricacies of cognac, will propel sales. Remy Martin Chief Executive Officer Eric Vallat spoke with Bloomberg's Ramy Inocencio about growing in the US and elsewhere.

<iframe src="https://www.bloomberg.com/api/embed/iframe?id=123d393b-0413-4624-9bf1-ac2ee7c06c1c" allowscriptaccess="always" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Source: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-10-24/getting-millennials-to-sip-cognac" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>

AUTHENTICITY AND CRAFT EXPLAINED BY COGNAC REMY MARTIN WITH 'LA MAISON REMY MARTIN' INTERACTIVE

Rémy Martin Cognac is hosting an interactive experience which will allow the guests to immerse in the universe of Rémy Martin and its One Life & Live Them lifestyle. 

This interactive experience is called "La Maison Rémy Martin".

La Maison Remy Martin Logo

It is starting from late October to late November in 3 cities: New York, Chicago, and then Los Angeles .

The experience will consist in giving you a view into cognac; from the grapes on the vine, to the blending process, to the magical cellars where cognac is aged.

You will discover the century’s old artisanship behind cognac making with a contemporary lens through curated workshops and interactive programming.

The objective: get the millennials, largest drinking age group to experience the authenticity and quality of craftmanship needed to make cognac. They will learn about (1) Terroirs, (2) People and (3) Time.

Drinking cognac is an experience and a lifestyle.

Sources: http://www.lamaisonremymartin.com

MAX COINTREAU'S LEGACY

Max Cointreau passed away last Wednesday 19th October 2016 at aged 94.

He was a prominent figure in the wine and spirits since 1942, being related to Renaud Remy Martin, Frapin, Domaine Château de Fontpinot, Cointreau SA, Vedrenne and Gosset Champagne.

Frapin, Château de Fontpinot

His involvement in the cognac industry, and the drinks trade more widely, extended far beyond into political leadership as as a president of the National Union of Liquor Manufacturers, of the GIE Grandes Liqueurs de France and president of the Social Commission of the National Council of Wine and Spirit for eight years, and as the mayor of his home town Gensac la Pallue from 1969 to 2001.

Sources: Frapin, Imbibe, La Republic.fr

HENNESSY COGNAC MAKES A ONE-OFF COGNAC WITH BOURBON NOTES

Hennessy is trying to capitalize on the bourbon whiskey boom by making a cognac that emulates the tasting notes of a bourbon, a new cognac called the 'Master Blender's Selection' = MBS.

According to adult beverage research firm IWSR, sales of super-premium bourbon increased 28.8 percent from 2011 to 2015. Meanwhile, comparable cognac sales increased 9.5 percent.

A more biting 43 percent ABV, a distillation with high levels of lees, not just fermented juice but skins too. Tastings show more spices and long finish with candied apricot and almond notes, and rugged square bottle shape.

Hennessy MBS 1, Bourbon Like

Another particularity of MBS, is that these cognacs are supposed to be one-off production. This goes against the tradition of making consistent cognac made the same year-after-year.

This is a great idea, and I expect a number 2 and 3 and so forth...

Master Blender’s Selection No. 1 will be available in 375ml ($45) and 750ml ($80) sizes, with a total case run of 9,300, sold exclusively in the U.S. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Source: Bloomberg

VISIT COGNAC WITH COGNAC TASTING TOUR

To learn about the various facets of the Cognac why not taking a day tour with one of the most dynamic and enthusiastic experts in the region: Cognac Tasting Tour.

about Cognac Tasting Tour

They offer tours starting from downtown Cognac, Saintes and many other departures.

These tours are tailored to a small group of people and very comprehensive with lunches, visits of distilleries, farms, vineyards, tasting rooms ... going from the back door of a variety of cognac producers, everywhere in the Cognac region.

They even offer accomodations to their guests in their family run B&B in the heart of the Grande Champagne in St-Preuil.

Cognac Tasting Tour Photo

Other activities offered are golf, ballon rides, but also visits of the Bordeaux vineyards as well as masterclasses in cognac tasting.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CognacTasting

Source: Cognac Tasting Tour

HENNESSY VS LIMITED EDITION SCOTT CAMPBELL

The Hennessy V.S Limited Edition by Scott Campbell embodies a shared a passion to Blend the Unexpected with artistry and expertise.

Hennessy VS Scott Campbell

The Hennessy legacy of artistic collaboration continues with Hennessy V.S Limited Edition by Scott Campbell. It is the sixth in a prestigious series that includes world-renowned artists such as Shepard Fairey, Futura, and Ryan McGinness.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWvh6qxVqFk&w=560&h=315]

Hollywood’s famous tattoo artist Scott Campbell uses his design talent usually applied to tattoos for the limited edition label VS from Hennessy. Very graphic, round lines and a touch feminine characterize Scott Campbell's style and can be easily recognized on the label.

It looks very nice and why not!

Hennessy VS Scott Campbell

Source: Hennessy.com

THE USA BEATS NEW SALES RECORD FOR COGNAC

Before the holidays seasons cognac sales are already showing a strong sales for 2016 in the

"Shipments of Cognac to the U.S., by far the global category’s largest market, crossed the 5-million-case mark on 13.5% growth last year, driven by the double-digit progress of Hennessy, Rémy Martin and Martell" says Shanken Daily News.

With growth continuing in 2016, U.S. depletions could hit 5 million cases and value could cross €1 billion ($1.1b) by year-end.

Impact Databank Cognac Sales in the USA, October 2016

1. Hennessy continues to dominate the category, accounting for 44% of worldwide volume and 66% of the U.S. Cognac market. With its global volume expanding by 55% since 2005, to 6 million cases, Hennessy has risen to become the world’s third most valuable spirits brand by retail sales, at $3.5 billion (trailing only Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff). “A significant portion of consumers drinking white spirits a few years ago have come over to Hennessy,” says Giles Woodyer, senior vice president, Hennessy at Moët Hennessy USA.
2. Rémy Martin remains a distant second to Hennessy in the U.S., but it too has been on an impressive run. In the 12 months through June, Rémy Martin posted a 15% increase in U.S. depletions, and in the first half of this year the brand’s VSOP jumped 20% in IRI channels.
3. Martell, which neared 100,000 cases in the U.S. last year, is getting increased focus in the market. Brand-owner Pernod Ricard is looking to leverage robust trends in both Cognac and Bourbon with a new hybrid product, Blue Swift ($50), which was finished in Kentucky Bourbon barrels.
4. Bacardi’s d’Ussé brand has also been making strides. Thus far in Bacardi’s fiscal year (beginning in April), d’Ussé’s revenues are up 20% compared with last year, led by its VSOP quality ($50). Meanwhile, senior brand manager Tyler Phillips tells SND that d’Ussé XO ($230), which continues to expand into new markets, is growing exponentially from a small base.
5. Beam Suntory’s Courvoisier brand sells about one-third of its volume in the U.S. market.

The Cognac category comprises about 4% of all spirits by dollar value in the U.S., according to Nielsen, but it’s growing at 19%, compared with total spirits category growth of 6%.

The whisky category revival has inspired greater consumer interest in brown spirits, specifically among multicultural millennial males. They are looking for premium brands that project success and sophistication, and so Cognac is well-positioned to get their attention. 

Hence, non premium cognac brands such as Salignac and Ansac are seeing negative growths in comparison.

Source: Shanken Daily News

ANNOUNCEMENT: COGNAC PARADIS BECOMES COGNAC DAILY NEWS

Since 2011, we have accomplished a lot with close to 1000 posts and close to 300 thousands of visitors to our Blog.

We thank you for your support and loyalty in reading our news.

Today, we have become a premier source for news related to everything to do with 'cognac' and 'brandy'.

As a result, we are changing our name from 'Cognac Paradis' which was the original inspiration for this blog, that is a very a very niche description on the excellence and detail views on cognac. That is to say, the 'paradis' is the ultimate cellar where the rarest cognacs are left to age for sometimes more than 100 years.

Cognac Paradis becomes Cognac Daily News

Now with Cognac Daily News we hope to expand with wider audiences interested to get cognac daily updated news, and in addition, we are opening to any other kinds of brandies as we are growing an interest in the full brandy category, that is the distillation of fermented fruits.

Cheers and Thank you again for your past and now future support!

Franck Vigneron

Editor in Chief, Cognac Daily News

LE LOGIS DU PARADIS, A LUXURY ACCOMODATION IN THE HEART OF COGNAC

Le Logis du Paradis is a lovely old classic Charentais property from 1712,former cognac estate. It is near a small river and in the midst of the vines of the Grande Champagne Cognac region. A renovated 18th century wing provides 5 highly comfortable and spacious chambre d’hotes with ensuite bathrooms.

In the 19th Century, vines were planted and the Logis became a distillery for Cognac. The “pressoir” with underground channels to the “cuves” where the wine was made, and the beautiful copper stills or “alambics” where the cognac was made, still exist. The other chais housed huge casks. The surrounding vines, reaching up the hill towards Lignieres, used to belong to the property.

Logis du Paradis, Cognac, Charente, Distillery

It offers a luxury Guest house with bed and breakfast (B&B) Chambre d’hote rooms and self catering cottages (Gites) perfect for discovering the south west regions in France including the Charente, the Cognac region with its vineyards, Angouleme, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, and Dordogne region.

BED & BREAKFAST
5 Bed & Breakfast rooms each have spacious bedrooms with Super King-size beds, which can also be converted into two singles if preferred, and en suite bathrooms. All bedrooms have a modern flat screen TV and a satellite decoder with large choice of channels.

Logis du Paradis, Bedroom

SELF-CATERING COTTAGES
Three beautifully converted cottages, ideal for 2 couples sharing. A high degree of comfort and privacy is offered for visitors within each cottage.

Logis du Paradis, Cottage

Sally and Nick Brimblecombe had been looking for somewhere to live in the Charente for a year, hopefully amongst the beautiful vines and hills of La Grande Champagne, between the rivers Charente and Ne. One day Sally and Nick received a phone call from friend about this place for sale. It took them ten minutes to fall in love with this old house that they call home since 2005.

Check the restauration page. Not for the faint hearted!

Logis du Paradis, Cognac, Charente, Renovations

Source: Le Logis du Paradis

COPPER & KINGS BRANDIES NOW AVAILABLE IN 28 STATES

Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings has extended distribution for its brandy and absinthe portfolio to California and Michigan.

Copper & Kings Distillery

Southern Glazer’s will distribute the lineup in California, while Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) will handle it in the Michigan market.

Copper & Kings’ lineup includes American Craft Distilled Brandy ($35), American Butchertown Brandy ($60), Un-Aged Apple Brandy ($30), Floodwall Apple Brandy ($40), Immature Brandy ($30) and Absinthe Blanche ($55).

COGNAC FACTS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

In the USA, and soon France, it is voting seasons and many people including the candidates are continuously getting their facts checked.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to cognac and I do not want to bruise anyone but let's look at some examples.

CITY A.M. just published an article on cognac:

"...In particular, cognac can only be made using certain grape varieties, the most typical being Ugni blanc, a grape that tastes as bad as it sounds. It’s the most widely planted white grape in France and produces a fairly terrible tasting white wine that’s often blended with other grapes or turned into industrial alcohol, the kind used to make rocket fuel and hand sanitiser.

To turn this nasty-ass wine into something that won’t launch a satellite into orbit, it’s distilled twice in a copper pot before being aged in oak barrels for at least two years. This distillation increases the ABV of the drink to 40 per cent and transforms brandy from a wine into a spirit. For it to become cognac, even the barrels must be up to AOC standards: only brandy aged in barrels from Limousin or Tronçais gets to bear the cognac label..."

1. "Cognac can only be made using certain grape varieties".

This fact is true. My stats is that 95% of the grapes in Cognac are Ugni Blanc. But other grapes are also allowed: such as Folle blanche, Colombard, Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François, Sélect, and Montils.

2. "Ugni blanc, a grape that tastes as bad as it sounds".

This fact is false. Ugni Blanc is also called St-Emilion in Bordeaux (not the cru), and Trebbiano in Italy for instances. These are good wines!

3. "It’s the most widely planted white grape in France".

True fact. Even in the Loire Valley!

4. "To turn this nasty-ass wine into something that won’t launch a satellite into orbit, it’s distilled twice in a copper pot".

This fact is false. Best grapes for distillation are white grapes. That's the rule of thumbs because they have a better acidity which enhances subtle notes and balance. It is distilled twice which is not much because it is the right amount of distillation to keep the most flavors. 1 distillation keeps too many impurities, more than 2 distillation would start nutralizing the flavors.

In pot stills because it is a smaller still which makes more delicate distillates, and in copper because copper has the best characteristics for heating, sterilizing and adding to the flavor than any other metals.

5. "Only brandy aged in barrels from Limousin or Tronçais gets to bear the cognac label".

This fact is false. First a barrel is a specific size of cask of approx. 200 liters, and most cognac makers use hogshead of 400 liters. Second cognac was originally aged in all kinds of different wood even chestnut wood. Eventually, the cognac appellation set the wood to be French oak. Limousin and Tronçais oak cask are normally oak that comes from the forests in France with the same names. Nowadays this means mostly a style of oak where Limousin  is a much more dense compact wood whereas Tronçais is more open.

Anytime someone talks about cognac this is great, and the more information the better. Never was my intention was to pick on this article [sorry]. I hope you can see that cognac has many complexe elements and that it is easy to get confused.

COGNAC LARSEN NEW COGNACS COME WITHOUT AN AGE DESIGNATION

Cognac Larsen has just launched a neat collection of cognacs with a focus on aroma and flavor rather than the traditional VS/VSOP/XO age designation.

Larsen offers a Summer and a Winter blend in hope to provide bartenders with a cognac option for the summer and another for the winter cocktails.

Larsen Summer and Winter Blend 2016. No Age Statement.

In 2013, Rémy Cointreau sold Larsen Cognac to Altia, less than one year after acquiring the brand itself. Altia already acquired Renault a couple of years prior. Late 2015, Altia appointed former BNIC communications head Jérôme Durand as managing director for its Larsen and Renault Cognac brands.

The ‘spirit of adventure’ is the new positining and new concept that Cognac Larsen will interpret in its future communications.

2016 WORLD BEST BARTENDER IS FRENCH WOMAN JENNIFER LE NECHET

Jennifer Le Nechet from Café Moderne in Paris wins the 2016 World Class Bartender competition organized by DIAGEO.

Jennifer Le Nechet is named World’s Best Bartender 2016

Almost 10,000 bartenders entered the Diageo-run global competition, which marked its eighth anniversary in 2016.

After a series of regional heats, 56 made it through to the Miami-based final, where bartenders took part in a series of challenges to assess technique, personality, spirits knowledge and performance under pressure.

In addition to naming the winner, judges also announced five runners up: Dries Botty from Belgium; Adrián Michalčík, Czech Republic; Jonas Andersen, Denmark; Ryu Fujii, Japan; and Nick Wu, Taiwan.

Le Nechet, the first female bartender to win the title.

Source: the Spirits Business

GERMAN COGNAC STORE ONLINE: www.cognac-paradise.de

www.cognac-paradise.de is a famous site that specialize in cognac in Germany. It has a wide selection of lesser known brands of cognac, but it also carries a smaller selection of Armagnac, Brandy, Calvados, Eau-de-vie, Gin, Grappa, Pineau des Charentes, Porto, Rum, Sherry, Tequila, Vodka and Whisky.

It serves only the German market, and therefore is in German. Sie sprechen Deutsch!

"Exklusive Spirituosen Wir bieten Ihnen eine der größten Auswahlen an Cognac in Deutschland." It says.

It has a large number of Cognac brands which most people have never heard because its owner Marko Körner who is always seeking variety, novelty and value, is looking for brands outside the beaten path.

Cognac-paradise.com

HENNESSY MAKES A TRIBUTE TO THE BLEND OF ALEXANDER I

A tribute to the blend created originally by Jean Fillioux following a request made in 1818 by the Russian Imperial Court of Tsar Alexander I, Master Blender Yann Fillioux created Hennessy Paradis Imperial in 2011.

The bottle is outstanding as well as the packaging is amazing. A great deal of work from little hands putting much know how to accomplish such a quality final product. That 'flange' sort of transparent rim is very unique to many of the high end bottles found on the premium cognacs offered by Hennessy.

Cognac Hennessy Paradis Imperial

A blend of more than 100 of the finest eaux-de-vie, some of which are said to be 130 years in old.

This cognac is described as with unique character, elegance and balance. Paradis Impérial's subtle elegance reveals itself with the aromas of jasmine, orange blossom and other flowery notes, spiced with smoky accents to create a uniquely balanced spirit. One should enjoy this cognac neat in a crystal tulip glass.