Liquid Grace

Möet Hennessy India, which recently held its first-ever cognac appreciation session in the country, thinks that there are enough people who are grappling with the horns of an after-whisky-what dilemma.

And in line with global marketing ploys and trends, they wouldn’t want stodgy tradition to come in the way of better sales, which in India languish at around 4,000 cases a year.

While purists might still prefer to be fed to moat monsters than have juice with their drink, to the uninitiated (like moi) a li’l bit of water or soda is pretty much ok. Though one should hasten to add, the molten-gold liquid is best had plain.

There’s a shadow of sweetness and a touch of acidity; the aromas are undeniably warm and full. To a connoisseur, that would be character, depth and complexity. But like all fine drinks, it agrees with both the mind and the body, regardless of whether one is an arriviste or a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist.

Nearly as interesting as the drink, named after its native town in south western France, is the story of its discovery—which came about due to a mixture of serendipity and a torrid case of thirsty throats.

The Cognac region produced some neat wines, which were exported to the rest of Europe. The English and Dutch merchants of the 16th century thought it would be a good idea to distill the wine to retain its quality over long trips.

And so, around the 1700s, the people of Cognac hit upon the process of double distillation, which allowed the concentrated alcohol (or eaux-de-vie, water of life, so fancifully and typically French) stored in oak barrels to reach its destinations, where the concentrate was reconstituted.

But in the meanwhile, the sailors discovered that the undiluted eaux-de-vie itself was a terrific drink.

Enter Cognac.

According to Jean-Michel Cochet, ambassador for Hennessy Cognac, and a man with an authentic French accent, the drink goes well with a variety of things and not just after-dinner contemplation.

The VS (very special) is a great companion to smoked fish, the subtle VSOP (very superior old pale) is excellent with chocolate-based desserts, and the rich XO (extra old) not only hits it off with curries and tandoori, but also makes for an ultra-classy pair with Havana cigars.

Möet is looking to get its product out of the occasion-festival-drink slot and enter that lucrative territory of house parties, get-togethers and the mindspace of the moneyed.

Considering cognac’s heritage, qualities and snob value, the target might be within reach. Cognac lovers would like to drink to that, preferably without orange juice.