The world has always divided the drinking populace into two types: those who like dark spirits and those who prefer the lighter more buoyant ones. To be fair, color has little role to play here, more an inconsequential eventuality than a causal factor in the shaping of the beverage. So today, is a journey of the deep spirited kind, through worlds past and present, visiting spirits which were once all the royal rage to the kind which today democratize the world of drinks. Let’s start in the past.
Cognac was first made in the Aquitaine region of France for various reasons-they already made wine which, in surplus years, needed to be preserved. Concentrating it by boiling it down seemed a smart way. When this potent liquid was taken by the barrel-fulls by the Dutch to be traded, the final oak-aged spirit turned out to be quite different from wine, and still yummy! So was born Cognac, a spirit that would rule roost till almost as recent as the 18th century when a mix of reasons would dethrone it-the rising rum trade (which rode on the back of the more lucrative sugar and slave trade) and the Phylloxera pandemic which decimated European vineyards in the 1850s. The lack of Cognac opened up the market for Scotch whisky and by the time the famous French brandy revived, it had to overcome two World Wars, one Economic Depression and a decade of Prohibition, by when, Scotch had enjoyed a near-free run. Today, when people drink a single malt as if they always have, remember it is a phenomenon barely a century old!
And speaking of young traditions, we shall segue into our next drink, Bourbon. America’s quintessential spirit of choice was introduced to the new land by migrant Scots and Irish folk but not having access to traditional casks as back home, they went ahead instead with casks made from the local American oak and charred them a bit extra just to remove any green notes. What emerged post aging was a spirit that was, to borrow from Douglas Adams, “not quite entirely unlike” whisky. It looked darker, tasted more pronounced, oh, and they chose to spell it whiskey with an ‘e’. How and when the Bourbon moniker came along, we have a host of stories, but the name does carry froth from the old French royal families who originally owned large tracts of land in the US. Today, regulation allows Bourbon whiskey to be produce anywhere in the US as long as it fulfils a few basic conditions—US-made, with 51 percent corn in the mix and aged in new charred oak barrels with no color adjustment after (something that Scotch does a fair bit of). There is no minimum aging requirement, but every brand will give it a few years in oak. Prolonged aging can sometimes take away from the ripe fruity punch that a youthful Bourbon packs. Straight Bourbon tends to have tighter norms regulating it so you are assured a slight more refined product.
While Cognac was considered a digestif, today it is common to have it in cocktails as an aperitif. Similarly, not all Bourbon needs to drown in cola to taste good, it is just as much at home on the rocks or in a snifter as any other spirit. Cocktails are never off bounds for either spirit but it’s always advisable (and suitable) to use a younger spirit.
As for brands to try, top Cognac houses like Martell, Hennessy, Courvoisier, and Remy Martin have a massive range to pick from. My current pick—the Cordon Bleu from Martell which is a truly noble embodiment of Cognac as a historic beverage. Among Bourbons, I favor Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam and Pappy Van Winkle. The Four Roses Single Barrel is among the most refined, smooth and value for money spirits (not just Bourbon) in the world. And on that note, the homework for the festive season is all set and before us. May you raise a toast surrounded by your loved ones!