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The Hennessy Paloma: Celebrating National Cognac Day

Did you know June 4th is National Cognac Day? Well you do now. We celebrate all holidays around here and especially alcoholidays that give us another excuse to drink. Traditionally Cognac is more of a warm weather spirit, so it was a bit surprising to find out its being celebrated in June, a Summer month we usually associate with tequila, rum, or even gin. But we’re all for it. And to show how versatile it can be, we’re sharing a recipe courtesy of Hennessy cognac that puts a cognac spin on a popular summer cocktail that traditionally uses Tequila, the Hennessy Paloma. Made with Hennessy V.S.O.P, this easy to make cocktail is light and sparkling, with a refreshing touch of grapefruit. It’s the perfect sip for brunch, at-home gatherings or anytime.

The Hennessy Paloma

The Hennessy Paloma Cocktail

  • 2 oz Hennessy V.S.O.P
  • 0.75 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
  • 2 oz Soda water
  • 0.25 oz Agave syrup
  • 1 Slice of grapefruit for garnish

For more cocktails and recipes, be sure to visit Hennessy.com or check out some of our previous featured cognac, and summer cocktails.

Cheers!

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One of the biggest treats of attending this years Tales of the Cocktail event was attending a dinner event hosted by D’usse (Pronounced “Dew-say”) Cognac. If you’re not familiar with the brand, you’ll probably catch the buzz soon. The Bacardi house cognac has become the “it” cognac as of late, popularized with the help of several celebrity endorsements, most notably Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. But it’s easy to buy a few big names off to promote your brand. The question is, does it actually measure of to the hype? In one word, Yes.

This exclusive event was held at the Degas house, home of the French Impressionist Master Edgar Degas and located about 10 blocks away from the French Quarter. From beginning to end, it was a night of hits and no misses. From creatively crafted cocktails to perfectly paired cuisines, D’usse did their best to prove why they, not Hennessy or Courvoisier  should be our premium cognac of choice. In addition to tasting and experiencing the versatility of this bold new cognac, we learned quite a bit as well about the history of D’usse, and French cognac in general lead by D’usse cellar master, Monsieur Michel Casavecchia. It was truly a night to remember.

We started the night off with jumbo lump crabmeat infused with D’usse, paired perfectly with the Gold Lorraine cocktail, a refreshing first serve made with cognac, honey, benedictine, lemon juice, and bitters. Go ahead and roll your tongue back in your mouth because it only gets better from here. Up next was the main course, Maple bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp seared with a sweet D’usse reduction. It was served on a bed of smoked cochon de lait over French-queen’s brie-infused stone-ground girts. Small back story here: Anyone that knows me, knows if there’s one food I’ve never been a fan of, it’s grits. To say I hate grits, would probably be an understatement. I’ve never had it in my adult life, and only remember horror stories of it in my childhood. So needless to say I was a bit apprehensive when I saw it on the menu. However, I like to consider myself an adventurer in the likeness of Anthony Bourdaine, so I thought I would take one for the team, and try it this time. The crazy thing? I didn’t just like it, I LOVED it. I wanted to pull the chef to the side and ask him if he could restore sight to the blind too, because what he put on that plate was nothing short of a miracle. It didn’t end there. Finally, we entered the courtyard where we sipped D’usse neat. Paired with it was a Creole white chocolate bread pudding made with white chocolate, fresh crushed pineapple, and fired with a D’usse-infused white chocolate reduction. Oh and did we mention there were hand rolled cigars waiting for us as well?

All in all, it was the perfect evening capturing the essence of a cognac that is sure to become a household name soon. Kudos to the Chef, Scot Craig of Katie’s Restaurant and Bar. His culinary expressions were one of a kind. And a special thanks to Jenna, and D’usse for allowing us to attend a one of a kind experience.

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Have you heard people refer to the Hennessy Nas bottle? A limited edition Hennessy bottled inspired by the culture. If you had told the founders of Hennessy that years later their bottle would be graced by a rapper, i’m sure they would have scoffed, but we’ve seen Hennessy except and promote the culture as a part of their growth for quite some time. Let’s be honest, in the US, hip hop and cognac are pretty synonymous, so it’s good to see artists are cashing and not just giving out free promotion.

“In 2023, Hennessy V.S marks a unique cultural milestone, celebrating a half-century of Hip Hop with one of the genre’s most prolific talents, Nas. A long-term friend of Hennessy, the multi-hyphenate, multi-platinum, Grammy Award winning rapper and artist captures the movement and the moment in a vibrant limited edition cognac.”

This isn’t nearly to the level of the 44 edition of Hennessy commemorating Barack Obama’s presidency, but it is a release of high magnitude that ANY collector should want, especially a hip hop fan. And as a fan of the culture and specifically Nasir Jones, yes we have a case sitting in storage in case you were wondering!

If you’re looking to purchase your own bottle, visit www.hennessy.com for online purchase. For more recipes and review, check out our cognac collection.

Cheers,

Alex

For the cocktail or spirits nerds out there, D’usse Cognac recently added it’s first brand ambassador role to it’s team. If you don’t know D’usse cognac you’ve likely been under a rock, but if you are familiar you probably know it from the heavy promotion by hip hop superstar Jay-Z. The business mogul has been it’s celebrity ambassador since launch,  but their newest boots on the ground rep will be non other than Sullivan Doh. Check out some of the highlights of the presser and Doh below:

“Sullivan Doh has created a name for himself among the international trade community, shedding important light on French spirits,” says Michel Casavecchia, Cellar Master of D’USSÉ. “His vast knowledge of the category, embodiment of French style and sophistication, and contagious passion for the industry makes him the ideal representative for the D’USSÉ portfolio. We’re thrilled to have him join the team to continue communicating the superior quality and craftsmanship of our liquid in the U.S., while he also oversees South Africa, Nigeria and Canada.”

“Cognac has always been a favorite and a focus of mine in my career, and I believe it’s one of the best spirits to be born in France,” notes Doh, “It’s a liquid that remains a key asset behind the bar, and D’USSÉ is the perfect brand to continue reinvigorating the category. I look forward to using my expertise and leveraging the opportunity to work with a cognac that incorporates its rich history from the prestigious Chateau de Cognac to create compelling consumer programming specifically with today’s spirits enthusiasts in mind.”

“Sullivan Doh is one of the biggest stars in the world of spirits and cocktails, with an unrivalled passion for French spirits generally and Cognac specifically” explains Jacob Briars, Global Advocacy Director at Bacardi. “We are thrilled to have him join our family of Bacardi Ambassadors, and his energy and enthusiasm are a perfect match for D’USSÉ as the brand continues to grow at a tremendous rate.”

Doh received a bachelor’s degree in Catering Management at Ecole Superieure de Cuisine Francaise Gregoire Ferrandi in Paris, before contributing to bar programs of some of the best food and drink institutions around the world in cities such as London, Sydney, and Paris. Prior to his new role with D’USSÉ, Doh co-founded and managed Le Syndicat Paris – the first cocktail bar in Paris to use only French alcohol to promote and showcase the diversity the country has to offer. Most recently, Doh was part owner and bar manager of La Commune Paris, the first cocktail bar in France to focus on Punch cocktails, using French spirits only. Both establishments have earned recognition among lists of worldwide best cocktail bars.

 

Cheers,

Alex

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