Cointreau Bottle

Mixology is becoming a big word in the world of spirits and consumers. Cocktails and cocktail making is the old way of thinking. Kind of like talking about cooking  versus cuisine. Mixology is very much about caring about the ingredients. That is the focus is on the selection and sourcing of the ingredients. The creativity of what you are making is also very important. Mixology is artistic while cocktail making is much more technical. And Bartending? Well it is about running a bar!

However, the technique is primary and the recipe is secondary.

Mixology has a great deal in common with making cognac in the sense that cognac makers care very much for the balance and the consistency of the beverage.

This year Cointreau is organizing Cointreau Mixology Series, these are exclusive cocktail-making lessons with some of the top mixologists in the USA, such as New York and Los Angeles. See here for LA for instance.

Each class includes an education on two signature Cointreau cocktails — the original margarita and a classic sour cocktail with a modern twist — plus a postlesson reception to enjoy your cocktails with a spread of appetizers. Guests will leave with gift bags full of Cointreau goodies to practice bartending at home.

• One-hour mixology lesson, including two signature Cointreau cocktails.

• One-hour postlesson reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

• Cointreau gift bag.

• All the knowledge necessary to mix cocktails at home.

In the United Kingdom Cointreau is even more adventurous by offering private mixology lessons in the comfort of your home. Amazing isn’t it!

“A professional Cointreau mixologist will arrive armed with everything needed for a pop-up cocktail-making master class including sumptuous orange liqueur Cointreau, additional ingredients and cocktail shakers. Leading with a lesson on how to shake the perfect Cointreaupolitan, the in-house mixologist will teach you all about the history of cocktails and how to make the perfect aperitif for a night in. You’ll learn how to make delicious and contemporary cocktails with orange liqueur Cointreau at their heart including the Cointreau St Clements, the Cointreau Cobbler and the Cointreau Margarita. At the end of the masterclass, exclusive limited edition gift bags will be distributed containing all you need to recreate the exquisite cocktails again and again.”   Cointreaurendezvous.co.uk here .

Sources: Photos www.cointreau.com

Cognac-Paradis B&B Benedictine

1) Herb liquor and Brandy =  B&B, for Bénédictine and Brandy created by Bénédictine Liquor in the 1950s, using their famous liquor and cognac.

Cognac-Paradis Hpnotiq

2) Blend Exotic Fruit Juices, Premium Vodka and Cognac = Hpnotiq created by Distillerie Merlet & fils in the early 2000s.

There are more than 500 brands of cognac. These cognacs come in many different presentations. There are a great deal of artistic influences needed for creating a new and different packaging.

Cognac-Paradis Cognac Bowen Napoleon

3) Cognac Bowen elegant and “old world” presentation.

Originally, this cognac was created from the love and inspiration for a woman named Mrs Bowen.

Cognac-Paradis Remy Martin Coeur de Cognac

4) Remy Martin has come up with a great deal of updates and new ideas in the past 5 years. My favorite Remy Martin’ s new idea is the Coeur de Cognac concept, particularly with this presentation. I find it very elegant and refreshing, not ostentatious, young and pepy, probably very women-friendly.

Hennessy Cognac is by far the most creative and innovative cognac brand with so many new ideas and a constant attention for innovation and artistic inputs. We have covered many of these new products in Cognac Paradis.

Today, the Distillerie Tessendier & Fils launched their new Cognac Du Buisson XO. The distillery owns a vineyard in the local area of Du Buisson in Borderies. Traditionally, Cognac Du Buisson uses “cognacaise” bottles but this nice decanter and classy box is very enticing. Cognac Du Buisson particularity is to offer a cognac range mostly composed of Borderies’ Cognacs aged from 12 years to 70 years.

Cognac-Paradis Cognac Du Buisson XO

Cognac Paradis Ralph Colemann Indice Raffaello

“A fan of mine informed me about you mentioning my thriller novel “*L’indice di Raffaello*” on the nice web-page of Cognac Paradis [

http://www.cognacparadis.com].

To say the truth in my book I don’t textually assert that “*Cognac Grand Breuil is the best cognac to give to someone special on special occasions*”.
Really, there are not words like these at page *171* (not 117) of chapter 31.

Nevertheless *I leave the readers guess it,* thanks to the particular situation *in which the marvelous Cognac Grand Breuil is suggested as a
special drink.*

In fact I describe a situation in which two main characters of the story meet to speak about a very important matter.

The passage of that chapter takes place in a beautiful old villa in Fiesole (Florence). The landlord is a rich and noble university professor,
an aristocratic gentleman of very refined tastes, and the guest is a very popular police commissioner. The two characters are both of high social
level… Therefore, the atmosphere is quite amazing. *In short, there’s going on a classic circumstance in which the Grand Breuil Cognac cannot miss! *

Cognac Paradis Ralph Colemann Indice Raffaello

* The Cognac Grand Breuil is mentioned and suggested as the first drink*, but finally even though accustomed to enjoy good cognac the guest (the

police superintendent) prefers to taste Sake, just because he never tasted it before… You know, he wants to make a new experience…

At any rate, *I like very much Cognac Grand Breuil myself*. In fact I’ve again mentioned it in another novel waiting to print. And much more! I’ll
do the same in the one I’m presently writing, that is the sequel of “*L’indice di Raffaello*”.

I don’t know whether you can read Italian quite well.

I hope to do rightly by sending you a digitalized excerpt of the page in question but in the Italian version, because the Italian form of the book
is presently the only one available in my hands. You know, the book has been only published by an Italian Publisher.

[Herald Editore - Rome - http://www.heraldeditore.it]

However, I do care to send you the translation of the excerpt that I promptly made especially for you.

By the way, I’m looking for a publisher willing to publish my book even in the United States of America. (Maybe one who loves Cognac Grand
Breuil…). If you know one or hear about the matter, please inform me or directly contact my Publisher. Thank you a lot.

Hoping to hear from you soon, I send my best wishes for Happy 2012.
Ralph Colemann [ralph.colemann@gmail.com]

Monday, January 16, 2012

Cognac Paradis Cognac Grand Breuil XO

Alberto from Italy, has just made us aware that a new thriller novel came out which is mentioning his favorite cognac: Cognac Grand Breuil.

“I am Alberto, a great appreciator of the Cognac Grand Breuil and  a passionate of thriller novel too.

I just want to inform you that Cognac Grand Breuil is mentioned as  as the best cognac to give to someone special on special occasions,  (chapter 31 page 117) in a newly released novel thriller titled:  “L’indice di Raffaello” (“The Raffaello Index”) published in Italy by Herald Editore, author Ralph Colemann.

You can view the book by visiting the following site of the Italian Publisher: http://www.heraldeditore.it

Moreover, in my opinion, in addition to be an interesting novel like the others of the same literary genres, “L’indice di Raffaello” (“The Raffaello Index”) hides incredible and worrying revelations between its lines.”

Ralph Colemann “The Raffaello Index”

SYNOPSIS ON THE BACK COVER www.heraldeditore.it

Cognac Paradis Raffaello Index Ralph Coleman

In the mysterious plot of a thriller that straddles the centuries lies the most daring, incredible and shocking unmasking of History.

Just a painting… Two murders in a department of the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome. The victims are an American citizen, poisoned, and an Italian doctor rushed from the fourth floor of the hospital.

Right away, the police commissioner of the homicide squad, Sandro Varcàro, realizes that will face a knotty and hot matter.

Fredrik Hildenberg, professor of archaeological methodology of the University of Melbourne, headed for a major conference in Vienna, makes a stop in Rome and stays at the same hotel of the American victim.

Just a painting… A small picture buried in time and by now passed into legend.

Werner Valerio Venante, Director of the Institute of Medieval Art History at the University of Florence, instructs the researcher Helena Moroni to go to Austria to recover it. It shows a detail of the “School of Athens” fresco by Raphael in the Vatican, which depicts Plato pointing his right index finger toward the sky.

What the chilling truth? Heaven or hell? Perhaps there is no difference.

Just a painting… The Raffaello Index … To discover who really are the great men of the past… To enter the dark folds of the future.

January, 2011

Ralph Colemann

Maison Comandon

Watch a story on the search of Maison Comandon tonight on “Home and Garden TV”.

The episode name is “Historic Homes in France’s Cognac Country”.

HGTV, House Hunter International, more details at:   http://tinyurl.com/3ppe84x 

On TV: Tuesday 10th January 2012.

. Pacific and Eastern = 11:30pm and later at night at 2.30am

. Central = 10.30pm and 1.30am

. Mountain = 9.30pm and 12.30am

“As Seen on HGTV, House Hunters International” TV show.

Happy New Year!

Bonne Année!

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Kull Aam Wa-’antum Bikhayr!

Gutes neues jahr!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Akemashite omedetou!

Saehae Bok Manhi Baduseyo!

At the end of the 19th Century, the vast majority of the Cognac vineyard was ravaged by the disease Phylloxera. B. Léon Croizet refused to let his estate die away.

Instead, he planted experimental vines from America. In order to protect them, he built stone walls around certain small vineyards.

His techniques were adopted by many vineyards owners and this helped to replant the vineyards of Cognac. In recognition of his work, B. Léon Croizet was awarded in 1883 the Légion d’Honneur by the President.

The successive generations have maintained the Croizet cognacs’ irreproachable quality and developed the brand around the world.

During the marriage of Léonie Croizet in 1892, a collection of priceless cognacs entered into the company’s heritage.

Due to this enviable position, Cognac Croizet was amongst a select group of only 3 Cognac Houses allowed to continue selling Vintage cognacs in 1963.

For more:   http://www.cognac-croizet.fr/historique-en,xxe-siecle,4.html

Chocolate Assortment

An epicurean is someone who seek pleasure from the consumption of goods, in particular food and beverages.  If you are an epicurean of Cognac, you are most likely an epicurean of other things such as cheese, wine, coffee, perhaps mushrooms or else, one has only to imagine what it could be.

Personally, and perhaps because it is holiday seasons I cannot help to think of chocolate. If you are interested in cognac you must like chocolate too – I assume.

A great number of people are turning to premium bakers as well to get these amazing desserts they can only get from top-end restaurants. With this economy, they may not be able to afford going out to expensive but rather purchase and indulge affordable desserts directly from the bakery which maybe producing for highly rated restaurants. Or  chefs from deluxe restaurants may starts their own small business focusing on exquisite bakery or precisely “patisserie” to supply refined consumers.

In America, the bakery world is changing and more refined artisan breads and baked goods are being sought after by consumers. This trend is also happening with artisan chocolate makers, called “chocolatier” who are producing chocolates confection closer to jewelry making. Belgium and Switzerland are evident drivers of this phenomenon with famous brands such as Godiva or Leonidas. But here again, like in Cognac, the interest of the epicurean is directed towards the “boutique” chocolate producers such as Pierre Marcolini, Gilles Desplanches, Wittamer, etc… using cocoa from Madagascar, Venezuela and even Cuba.

Cognac Paradis Gilles Desplanches

More Info: see for instance, http://tinyurl.com/8a4fck3

If you are a chocolate epicurean you are looking for uniqueness and small-batch production. I often like cognacs which have chocolate nuances. I also like my cognac with dark chocolates and chocolate ice creams. I like nuts such as pecans, and other standards like almonds. Perhaps, my favorite are candied chestnuts but these are hard to find.

In a future posting I will go over the cognac tastings and different tastings wheels available. What is interesting is to look at and compare other tasting wheels such as the one provided to chocolate or coffee lovers. You will see there are many similarities with cognac.

Perhaps the cognac glasses! How come? Have you heard of Glass Harp?

Glass made instruments appeared for the first time in the 12th century in China. Today, a Polish couple are using cognac snifters to play the most difficult classical music pieces from Bach to Tchaikovsky. Some people may prefer Harry Potter or Star Wars themes but because today’s is Hanukkha and this weekend it will be Christmas I thought it would be more appropriate to have something like “Sugar Plum Fairy” by P. Tchaikovsky.

ENJOY WITHOUT MODERATION THIS TIME!

Learn more from http://www.glassharp.eu

Cognac Paradis Cesaria Evora

Singer Cesária Evora, nicknamed the “Barefoot Diva” because of her propensity to perform without shoes, has died aged 70 this past Saturday 17th December 2011.

Evora started performing Portuguese-creole songs when she was 16 years old in the bars of her hometown, Mindelo. World recognition came later in her life when at the age of 47, in 1988 she released her debut album, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva), which launched her career as a recording artist.

Evora grew up in poverty in the port city of Mindelo and often refused to wear shoes while performing in support of the homeless and poor women and children of her country.

Her 1995 album, Cesária, was released in more than a dozen countries and brought Evora her first Grammy nomination, leading to a tour of major concert halls around the world and resulting in album sales in the millions.

She later won the “Best World Music Album” Grammy in 2004 for her album Voz D’Amor.

The Grammy-winning singer, who was forced to retire in September due to ill health, passed away in the hospital on her native island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. Cape Verde is a republic made of 10 Islands set off on the west coast of Africa where people speak Portuguese.

Evora was famous for singing blues-influenced music and often recognized  for her interest in the enjoyment of the finest cognacs.

We regretfully say our goodbyes to a Diva.

Source: Photo: Silvio Tanaka