Now in its 5th year, the 2012 International Cognac Summit, organized by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), brought together 24 leading international drinks professionals (full list below) to Cognac to address the subject of Cognac and Women.
From January 22-25, three days of intense discussions, workshops, tastings, lectures and visits to Cognac houses by bartenders, sommeliers, retailers and specialist journalists from the USA, UK, France, Germany and Austria threw light on women’s perception of Cognac—from its taste and aromas to its packaging and consumption.
Tasting sessions showed that in terms of packaging, women have a clear preference for a style that is luxurious and contemporary and are particularly attracted to round bottles with creative and eye-catching labels - all characteristics that strongly mirror women’s preferences in their choice of perfume packaging.
The same parallel with perfume was evident when it came to taste and aroma: the sweet, fresh-fruity notes in Cognac (cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ripe fruit, toffee and orange) were judged by all tasters to be female-friendly. Again, these are all fragrance notes found in the current Top 10 perfumes for women in France, Europe and throughout the world.
In a creative Cognac cocktail workshop conducted by Patricia Richards, Head Mixologist for Wynn & Encore Resorts in Las Vegas, teams of bartenders, sommeliers, retailers and journalists came up with new cocktails that would appeal to women consumers. ‘Lady Coeur’ was voted the winner for its subtle blend of Cognac, orange, cinnamon sweet vermouth and Champagne.
What better cocktail for Valentine’s Day?
Lady Coeur
1.5 oz (45 ml) Cognac VSOP
1/2 oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 oz (10 ml) freshly squeeze lemon juice
1/2 oz (15 ml) simple syrup
3/4 oz (20 ml) sweet vermouth
Champagne
Cinnamon for dusting
Orange twist
Method
Shake the Cognac, orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and sweet vermouth over ice. Strain into a martini glass and top off with Champagne. Sprinkle very lightly with cinnamon and garnish with orange twist.
Comments