About French Cognac
Since
its accidental discovery in the 17th century, the French brandy
known as cognac has reached a level of near-mythical status in
mainstream consumer cultures, for the uniquely mysterious, effect
it seems to have on its followers. Today, just the brand names of
certain fine cognacs are practically synonymous with elegance,
style, 'class,' and even sex appeal throughout the western world.
Hennessy, Courvoisier, Delamain, Hine, and many other popular
brands have become legendary status symbols among even the most
unexpected social circles, including many prominent figures in
American hip-hop culture, due in large part to wildly popular
endorsements by African-American music icons like Snoop Dogg,
Tupac Shakur, and Nas – who are widely credited with making
America the largest current market for French cognac sales
worldwide.
Cognac
can be made only in the region of southwestern France surrounding
the small town in Charente for which it is named. Under French
law, for any eau de vie – ‘water of life,’ the clear brandy
cognac is made from – to be considered authentic cognac, it
must not only come from the region, but follow an extremely
strict and carefully enforced set of distilling practices. The
process typically involves double-distilling very particular
types of highly-acidic local white grapes in special copper pot
stills, followed at least two years aging in oak
barrels.
Afterwards, most
cognacs are diluted with purified water, leaving the finished
product at around 40% alcohol by volume. Opinions on the best
cognacs frequently vary, as do proper methods for drinking it;
popular cognac glasses range from long, slender ‘tulip’
shapes to stumpy, stemless ‘fish-bowls,’ depending on
personal taste and the aromatic properties of the
brandy.
And,
while individual drinking rituals and preferences are as unique
and strange as their adherents, cognac’s nearly absurd
prevalence in worldwide pop culture stands as a reminder that
cognac isn’t just a private indulgence for the social elite,
anymore. Mass-produced cognac posters of surreal, art deco
cognac-themed images like Cappiello’s “Cognac Monnet” have
been making the rounds on popular college poster websites like
allposters.com for years, ranging in price from $9.99 to a
ludicrous $300. Yet, for the serious cognac collector, perhaps
that seems like a drop in the bucket, considering that the
world’s most coveted bottles reach upwards of $100,000, or, in
the case of Henri IV’s 100 year old gold-dipped and
diamond-encrusted Dudognon Heritage, $2 million a bottle. À
votre santé.
