BRANDY & COGNAC
Aria Wright , Camus '
U . S . brand ambassador ing more for status than anything else when choosing which brand to drink . “ Brandy and Cognac consumers are a special breed ; they often have a mature palate and are more experienced drinkers ,” he says .
“ While many consumers identify themselves in what they drink — such as tequila drinkers saying they love tequila — Cognac drinking is often seen as a status symbol , and drinking Cognac can signify ‘ I have arrived .’”
A DIVERSIFYING COGNAC DEMOGRAPHIC
Cognac has traditionally appealed to mature and affluent consumers , often associated with older age groups and those with higher disposable incomes . But Cognac drinker demographics today are more diverse than they have ever been , Lamy says .
Brandon O ' Daniel , head distiller at Copper & Kings agrees : The younger crowd , craving something new in their alcohol-curious lives , has driven sales at the company .
“ The cocktail scene has been a major influence on our brandy sales ,” says O ' Daniel . “ Watching an excited bartender do something with brandy always turns into something fun , and we try to lean into this as much as possible as a brand . I also encounter a lot of spirits-educated people looking for something new , especially at the distillery .”
Indeed , “ there is a growing interest among the younger African-American hedonism group , characterized by an appreciation for refinement , a luxury social lifestyle and rising disposable incomes ,” Wright notes .
With the increasing interest among younger generations , Camus ’ clientele has embraced VS Intensity as a bestseller , serving as an excellent starting point for those refining their Cognac palate . VS Intensity Cognac stands out by boasting an extremely high concentration in esters , resulting in flavors of summer fruits and subtle spices , according to the producer .
Camus ’ VS Intensity Cognac , distilled with lees and aged in fine-grain French oak small barrels , boasts a high concentration in esters , resulting in flavors of summer fruits and subtle spices , according to the producer .
BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN BRANDY AND COGNAC
Making a good brandy always starts with the grapes , says O ' Daniel . “ As a distiller , my job is to express the excitement I find in the vineyards and orchards . It ’ s all about the fruit .”
One of Copper & King ’ s bestsellers , American Apple Brandy , aims to capture those fruity notes . It ’ s finished in Kentucky bourbon and new American oak barrels ; the apple flavor comes from real apples , with no added boisé , or wood flavor .
For Jennifer Pisciotta , global vice president of marketing at D ' Ussé , the two most important qualities of a good Cognac are complexity and mouthfeel . These are determined by a range of factors in each step of the production process .
D ' Ussé , a relatively new brand launched in 2012 , stands out for its eaux de vie — the unaged brandy that will become Cognac — as well as the unique aging conditions of its dry and humid cellars , Pisciotta says . ( Eaux-de-vie must be aged a minimum of two years in oak before they can be called Cognac .)
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR DARK SPIRITS
More consumers have been crossing beverage alcohol categories in the past 20 years , with many coming to brandy and Cognac from rum and whiskey . Wright believes the focus on agave and whiskey will bring more opportunities and exposure to Cognac and other brandies .
“ The continued popularity of brown spirits will strengthen Cognac ’ s position as a major player in the industry ,” Wright notes . “ It ’ s only a matter of time before a significant portion of the U . S . population discovers the allure of Cognac .”
As further evidence of the Cognac ’ s connection to whiskey , the popular bourbon brand Uncle Nearest this past October bought the Domaine Saint Martin Cognac house . The deal makes Shelbyville , TN-based Uncle Nearest the largest Grande Champagne vineyard owner in Cognac .
O ’ Daniel also sees a bright future for the category . As new producers enter the market and established houses continue to get creative with all types of barrel finishes , more consumers will likely want to explore brandy .
For example , Courvoisier in 2022 introduced Courvoisier Mizunara . The Grand Champagne expression begins aging in French oak barrels and then transfers to one of House of Suntory ’ s Mizunara casks made of Japanese Mizunara wood for a second maturation .
Even though Maison Ferrand sales have lagged for 2023 , Lamy says Cognac has made significant progress in the past five years in the U . S . spirits market . “ Cognac was always respected as one of the great world spirits . I see it now being in the forefront of spirits education for consumers , which will guarantee a very bright future for the category .” •
8 Cheers • Winter 2023 www . cheersonline . com