RAPPER NAS TALKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE VISITING HENNESSY'S FACILITY IN COGNAC

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones better known as Nas is an American rapper and actor. Since 1994, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide. His tenth studio album, Life is Good was released in 2012.  Nas is also an entrepreneur through his own record label, retail sneaker store, and magazine publishing.

His musical career began in 1991 when he was featured on Main Source’s track "Live at the Barbeque". His debut album Illmatic released in 1994, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community. It is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8m4SK_30k&w=560&h=315]

Nas is often named as one of the top hip hop artists. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time and fourth on MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game" list (2012/2013).

NAS and Jay-Z have been criticizing each other for many years. In fact, one may say that they have a great deal in common per the above but also having made a strong reputation for their engaged lyrics.

NAS is one of the celebrity icons used by Hennessy in their ‘Wild Rabbit’ program launched last year.

Sources: http://www.hennessy.com/us/nas-a-journey-to-cognac

2012 COGNAC APPELLATION D'ORIGNE CONTROLEE PRODUCTION YIELDS STATISTICS

. Cognac yield down to 9.57 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare in 2012.
9.57 hectoliters/ha = 957 liters = 252 US Gallons of pure alcohol.

Cognac Vineyards - Fins Bois

. A vineyard producing wine for comparison does:
52 hectoliters/ha = 5200 liters = 1374 US Gallons of wine.

Grapes Harvest  Credit: Wikipedia.com

Can you see something wrong with the cognac harvest photo above? Yes! No!

1. It is not Cognac. Correct! This is on the west coast USA.
2. It is not Cognac AOC authorized grapes. Correct! These are chardonnay grapes.
3. There are watering the vines. Correct! Watering vines is a huge big no-no in Cognac AOC.

Early 2012, the Interprofessional Bureau of Cognac (BNIC) fixed the Cognac yields: 10.83 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare.

Every year the BNIC sets the maximum yields per hectare. Everything above this yield has to be sold to make other use than cognac. This limitation from the BNIC is part of the many regulations to control the volume of cognac in the market and therefore to reinforce the status of cognac being an authentic luxury spirits.

In 2012, Charentes (1) vineyards faced strong climatic (from drought to heavy rain) and fungal (mildew and powdery mildew) pressures, the 4.699 farms producing cognacs finally displayed a yield of 9.57 hlAP/ha.

In 2012, the dual-purpose grape varieties from the limited area of Cognac produced 7.54 million hectoliters of wine (-15.5% compared to 2011). 98.7% of this wine production is intended to distillation and production of Cognac eaux-de-vie (this percentage was 95.8% last year).

(1) Cognac AOC overlaps 4 departments (sort of counties): Charente, Charente Maritime, Deux-Sevres, and Dordogne. The 2 Charentes are 97% of it versus the 2 other departments are marginally contributing. Charente and Charente Maritime are often referred to as "Charentes".

Source: www.winealley.com

WHERE ARE THE COGNAC LOUNGES, WHO IS DOING IT AND WHAT IS GOING ON?

As I am meeting many bar and restaurant managers I am sensing people are looking for new ways to set themselves apart. Ways which may include the largest menus, the most expensive place, the trendiest place, the biggest place, the most awarded place, the best location, etc... Recently, many places have started what I would call the "speakeasy revival". That means going back to the roots of the liquor, night life and bar industry. In addition, to this trend comes the craft, artisanal and boutique spirits trend which is also growing quickly. I forecast the combination of all of the above set the trend for theme bars with some bars specializing in clear spirits, other in brown spirits, sooner or later we may see bars focusing on fruit spirits versus grain spirits.

Another side trend might be to develop flights where people sample different products of different categories versus products from the same category but different brands and so forth. This is an exciting time in this industry and one to see many opportunities.

Hence, the slow but evident growing number of Cognac Lounges in the world is giving credence to my forecasts.

In 2013, two lounges opened in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

1. The restaurant Guy Savoy inside Caesars Palace Las Vegas debuted its Cognac Lounge with an extensive cognac menu, many of which can only be found at the restaurant. The menu will evolve as Restaurant Guy Savoy acquires other bottles.

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

2. In the Monte Carlo Las Vegas upstairs from Andre's Restaurant is the Cigar & Cognac Lounge, a world of intimate lighting, rich leather, the glow of the fireplace capturing a glint of amber cognac in a glass and the seductive aroma of fine cigars. The Lounge has a great selection of rare Cognacs and Armagnacs in stunning bottles—some from as early as 1802.

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

3. Another cognac lounge is the Cool River Cafe in three locations: Austin, Dallas and Denver. The idea behind "cool river" is to create a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves with a board game or just sit back in a comfortable leather lounger and forget their worldly cares.

Cool River Cafe Cognac Lounge in Austin, Dallas and Denver

4. Few bars in Los Angeles enjoy the fame of the Biltmore's Gallery Bar. It has long been considered one of the best hotel bars in downtown Los Angeles, because its long list of signature martinis, fine wines and exclusive liqueurs. Sip your delicious choice of cocktail along one of the secluded leather banquettes, or retire to the adjacent Cognac Room with its soft couches and wooden cabinets, filled with Biltmore memorabilia. Not many people know it has a cognac room and this should change!

Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles Cognac Room

5. The Brandy Library on 25 N. Moore Street, Tribeca, New York is well know for its huge selections of cognac. It is both a library and a bar, hence the name.

Brandy Library in New York

6. Cognac in Atlanta: the “XO Bar” at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta is a cognac bar. Hotel bars typically do not have great personality. So when IHG was planning a signature lounge space in the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, the idea was to put some soul into it, according to Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, IHG’s Vice President of Food & Beverage for the Americas.

It was his first project as VP, and he decided to conceptualize the bar around a single spirit. After some research and consideration of the market, the choice was cognac. Today the hotel’s XO bar offers more than 60 different labels of cognac. “We have very affordable cognac to very unaffordable cognac — a $500 shot or a $10,000 bottle,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray.

XO Bar in Atlanta Intercontinental Hotel

Of all places, one would imagine China to be leading the pack in terms of cognac restaurants and bars. They might in volume but for some reasons they do not seem to claim the image of cognac bars as much as the above examples, with the exception of two bars from the Ritz-Carlton group.

7. The OZONE BAR at the Ritz-Carlton, in Hong Kong.

Ozone Bar Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

8. The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Lobby Bar in China.

Portman Bar in the Ritz-Carlton in Shangai

9. The Baudelaire Bar, in the Burgundy Hotel in Paris. France only accounts for 1% of the cognac consumption and my guess is that 90% of this 1% is consumed by tourists! However, this bar is perhaps setting the trend and changing the attitude. Go Paris!

Baudelaire Bar in Burgundy Hotel in Paris

Sources:
andrelv.com
caesarpalace.com
coolrivercafe.com
leburgundy.com
millenniumhotels.com
montecarlo.com
ritzcarlton.com

2013 RESULTS OF THE WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION: BEST COGNAC FOR LOUIS-ROYER

2013 World Best Cognac, Louis-Royer VSOP Force 53

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is regarded as the most respected spirits competition in the world. The Competition was the first comprehensive, international spirits judging ever held in the United States on an annual basis. Products are evaluated by top spirits professionals and are judged in a blind, consensual procedure ensuring competitive integrity and making this annual competition the most reputable and recognized competition in the spirits industry.

The 2014 Competition took place on March 20th through the 23rd at the Hotel Nikko in downtown San Francisco.

The 2013 Results were officially announced,  April 3, 2013, but they were not very clear so I had to delayed the announcement to confirm a few things:

Cognac VS or Equivalent

Double Gold Medal, Camus Cognac VS Elegance, www.camus.fr

Gold Medal, Bossard Cognac VS, www.bossardcognac.com

Gold Medal, Hennessy Cognac VS, www.hennessy.com

Silver Medal, Camus Ile De Ré Fine Island Cognac, www.camus.fr

Silver Medal, Comandon Cognac VS, www.comandon.com

Silver Medal, Courvoisier Cognac VS, www.courvoisier.com

Silver Medal, Landy Cognac VS, www.landycognac.com

Bronze Medal, Hennessy Black, www.hennessy.com

Cognac VSOP or Equivalent

BEST COGNAC,
Double Gold Medal, Louis-Royer Cognac Fine Champagne VSOP, Force 53, www.louis-royer.com

Gold Medal, Camus Cognac VSOP Borderies, www.camus.fr

Gold Medal, D'USSÉ Cognac VSOP, www.dusse.com

Gold Medal, Gautier Cognac VSOP, www.cognac-gautier.com

Silver Medal, Bossard Cognac VSOP,  www.bossardcognac.com

Silver Medal, Camus Cognac VSOP Elegance, www.camus.fr

Silver Medal, Camus Ile De Ré Fine Island Cognac, Double Matured, www.camus.fr

Silver Medal, Camus Ile De Ré Fine Island Cognac, Cliffside Cellar, www.camus.fr

Silver Medal, Cognac De Luze Fine Champagne VSOP, Grande & Petite Champagne, www.choose-delight.com

Silver Medal, Comandon Cognac VSOP, www.comandon.com

Silver Medal, Courvoisier Cognac VSOP, www.courvoisier.com

Silver Medal, Grand Breuil Cognac Elite, www.cognac-tessendier.com

Silver Medal, Landy Cognac VSOP, www.landycognac.com

Silver Medal, Louis Royer Cognac VSOP Preference, www.louis-royer.com

Silver Medal, Merlet Cognac Brothers Blend, www.merlet.fr

Cognac XO or Equivalent

Double Gold Medal, Gautier Cognac XO Pinar del Rio, www.cognac-gautier.com

Gold Medal, Campagnère Cognac Belle Epoque Borderies, www.cognac-tessendier.com

Gold Medal, Cognac De Luze Fine Champagne XO, Grande & Petite Champagne, www.choose-delight.com

Gold Medal, Courvoisier Cognac XO, www.courvoisier.com

Gold Medal, Gautier Cognac XO Gold & Blue, www.cognac-gautier.com

Gold Medal, Louis Royer Cognac XO, Force 53, www.louis-royer.com

Silver Medal, Camus Cognac XO Elegance, www.camus.fr

Silver Medal, Comandon Cognac XO, www.comandon.com

Silver Medal, Drouet & Fils Cognac XO Cuvée Ulysse, www.cognac-drouet.fr

Silver Medal, Landy Cognac XO, www.landycognac.com

Silver Medal, Leopold Raffin Cognac XO, www.rlaclie.com

Cognac Extra-Aged

Silver Medal, Louis Royer Cognac Extra Grande Champagne, Force 53, www.louis-royer.com

Thirty-four spirits experts convened at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco from March 21st through the 24th, 2013, for the 13th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The 2013 Competition had record entries, up 17% from last year. Distillers and importers submitted 1407 spirits from 63 countries into 85 different classifications. This year Suntory Ltd. from Tokyo, Japan, was awarded "The Tasting PanelMagazine Distillery of the Year", "Importer of the Year" was captured by Pernod Ricard USA, New York, NY, while the "Director's Award" was won by William Grant & Sons, New York.

Congratulations to Louis-Royer Cognac for winning the 2013 World Best Cognac for its VSOP!

Source Infos: SF World Spirits Competition

Source Photo: www.louis-royer.com

REMY COINTREAU IS POSTING VERY POSITIVE RESULTS

Remy Cointreau Logo

Rémy Cointreau has posted a healthy jump in year-to-date sales as Cognac sales remained strong despite the later Chinese New Year.

Total sales rose by 17.5% to $1.29bn US in the nine months to the end of December, with Rémy's own brands up by 20.6%. Sales of its Rémy Martin brands increased by 12.4% in the same period, as super-premium Cognac in Asia continued to grow.

Cognac sales in the US were also buoyant while Rémy's liquor and spirits posted “strong gains” in the country.

The results build on already strong comparisons from the same period last year when Cognac sales grew 18% up. Net sales in 1st quarter were up by 13.30% compared to 2012 first quarter.

Sales in Europe remained buoyed by Russia and increased, together with some Western European countries.

Today's results included a full quarter of sales of Bruichladdich, which Remy Martin purchased in 2012 for approximately $90 million US.

To read Remy's official statement, click here.

HENNESSY WILD RABBIT GOING FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Hennessy, the number one selling Cognac brand in the world, announced this month that its successful “Wild Rabbit” campaign will continue for a second year. Centered on the notion that true greatness is reserved for those who have reached a level of mastery yet still push for more success, the “Wild Rabbit” program draws parallels among the journeys of leading icons in various fields and the paths being forged by Hennessy aficionados.

Wild Rabbit

The award-winning campaign, which in 2012 spotlighted inspiring tales of such masters as Manny Pacquiao , Erykah Badu and Martin Scorsese , will add a new ambassador to their ranks: multi-platinum recording artist and rhyme master, Nas.

Nasir Jones 'NAS'

Nas gave a statement on teaming up with Hennessy, as he said: "this partnership with Hennessy has been almost two decades in the making".

He also added: "I am honored to be included in the group of previous partners Hennessy has selected over the years and hope this campaign will inspire others to ‘never stop, never settle".

Rodney Williams, Senior VP, Moet Hennessy USA spoke on working with Nas: "our ‘never stop, never settle’ mantra communicates a value at the core of who we are as a brand and resonates with our consumers: pursuing one’s potential comes from an inner drive to continuously grow, continuously improve and seek greater levels of mastery."

Source: News: www.hiphopdx.com

Source: Photos: Wikipedia

SHORTBREAD MADE WITH COGNAC AND ALMOND

Butter Cookies made with Cognac

I like cognac and ice cream, and I often add cookies to it but in general I prefer butter cookies also known as shortbread. Liquor.com posted a shortbread recipe using cognac on Jan. 23rd 2013.

 They call this "Almond Cognac Cookie Sandwiches".

Liquor.com writes ..."These truly adult baked goods come from Jane Danger, owner of New York’s acclaimed Jane’s Sweet Buns.

And she knows more than a thing or two about liquor. In fact, Danger’s creations—including Rum Runner sweet buns and a Harvey Wallbanger cake—are “inspired by cocktails,” and she pulls shifts behind the bar at the recently opened The Bourgeois Pig Brooklyn when she’s not baking. She boasts an impressive mixological resume, having worked at some of the city’s best watering holes, such as PDT, Little Branch, Dutch Kills and Cienfuegos.

Her shortbread-cookie recipe is simple and delicious, calling for both almond extract and a couple spoonfuls of cognac. For an extra shot of pizzazz, she uses a raspberry-jam-and-rose-water concoction to bind two of the confections together.

The tasty result can be dipped into brandy. It also pairs perfectly with warming spirited tipples like a Hot Toddy or Glogg, not to mention coffee or tea.

So build a fire, pour yourself a drink and enjoy a cookie sandwich. We could really get used to this routine.

ALMOND COGNAC COOKIE SANDWICHES

Contributed by Jane Danger

INGREDIENTS:

• .75 cup Sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened
• 2 Egg yolks
• 1 tsp Almond extract
• 2 tsp Cognac
• 2.5 cups Flour
• .5 tsp Salt
• .5 cup Raspberry jam
• .25 tsp Rose water

PREPARATION:
In a medium bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, almond extract and cognac, and stir to combine. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll 1-tablespoon portions of the dough into balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand. Bake until just beginning to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely.

While the cookies are baking, add the jam and rose water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until slightly warm, about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Spread a small amount of the jam mixture on the bottom of a cookie and top with another cookie to form sandwiches. Repeat with the remaining cookies. This recipe makes about 48 cookies, or 2 dozen sandwiches.

Sources: Photo and Text = Liquor.com