Cognac Lets its Hair Down

To most cigar smokers, the pleasures of a straight-up, no-nonsense drink - a single-malt Scotch, single-barrel bourbon, or an añejo Tequila, to name a few - are self-evident. However, in the mainstream of today's nightlife drinking culture, it seems to be the versatile, mixing spirits - gin, vodka, and an increasing number of rums - that are in vogue. Our "Sex and the City"-obsessed culture has ushered in a new golden age for the sweet, fruity cocktail. Not a terrible thing in and of itself - at least it's not those wine coolers and cream ales from the '80s - but it does seem to be sounding a death knell for the old-fashioned, traditionally masculine cocktails of yesteryear, and I, for one, am a bit distressed.

Would John Wayne ever swagger into a saloon and order a Cosmopolitan? Would James Bond ever say, "Shaken, not stirred... and use the raspberry vodka, please"? Would Frank Sinatra not have cuffed you upside the head if you ordered him a frozen peach daiquiri? The Manhattan, the gimlet, the Tom Collins, and the classic, no-frills martini all seem to be a dying breed, in danger of being relegated to the same quaint obsolescence as, it pains me to say, smoking a cigar in a big city steakhouse. And while those aforementioned whiskeys of Scotland, Kentucky, and Mexico have found a new lease on life by going upscale, another endangered spirit is attempting a different tack to capture that fickle 20- to 30-something crowd.

Cognac is a mystery to many drinkers here in America, due mostly to its often high price tag, and hence, its reputation as a drink of the snifter-swirling upper crust. (Others of my generation may remember, for example, that cognac was the preferred quaff of snooty, Boston blueblood Major Charles Winchester on "M*A*S*H*.") It is also most definitely an acquired taste, as I myself can attest. Once you've acquired it, however, this elegantly textured brandy, originating exclusively in the storied Cognac region of France, becomes a true treat, even if circumstances make it a rare indulgence. For a smoker of fine cigars, cognac is a treasure, nearly as classic a companion to a good smoke as port, another vinous import often maligned as an "old rich guy" drink.

France's Cognac Bureau has embarked on a mission to reposition this legendary brandy as the next big thing in cocktail mixing, and hosted an "Around the World with Cognac" party at Manhattan's trendy Cibar in July. I attended with my own mission: to discover if any of these up-and-coming cognac concoctions were suited to stand up to a cigar. First impressions were not encouraging: the Cognac Gini, mixing cognac with lemon juice and seltzer and garnished with a slice of kiwi, was a very sour, lemonade-type drink, with a lip-puckering, citrus aftertaste. Not bad, especially for summer, but not cigar material. The Ritz Cocktail at least had a classic look, served in a martini glass topped off with a lemon peel. However, the combination - cognac, orange juice, lemon juice, and chilled Champagne, was again a bit too bracing and zingy to coat the palate for tobacco. It was tasty, though, especially paired up with the Latino-style hors d'oeuvres that were recommended on my tasting menu.

Matching up cognac cocktails with regional cuisine types was another aim of the soirée, and the drinks were divided up among which ones went better with Latino, Asian, or Indian food. My own search got warmer at the Asian table. The Cognac Royale was a simple mixture of cognac and pineapple juice, and the combo was quite good. I've always been a believer that the more uncomplicated the drink, the better the result, and this one was proof; the warm nuttiness of the cognac melded seamlessly with the sweetness of the pineapple. It was, in fact, the first drink in which I could actually discern the taste of the brandy easily through the mixers. A milder cigar might actually go well with this one, perhaps for someone sacked out in a beachfront hammock.

It was while making this observation that I finally noticed the outdoor patio area hidden in the restaurant's rear, and found a trio of nattily-dressed French gentlemen sipping their drinks and puffing on Hoyo de Montereys. After kicking myself mentally for not having any cigars of my own (who knew there was an outdoors?), I inquired as to what one of them was drinking. He answered that it was the Cognac Collins, and followed it up with high praise for its cigar suitability. I ordered one up, and while I found it quite refreshing - the combination of cognac, sparkling water, and a dash of lemon juice was sweet without being acidic - it seemed as if it would be fairly flavor-neutral matched up with a puro. I'll hasten to add, however, that unlike the man who made the recommendation, I didn't have a cigar to test that hypothesis.

Always a fan of Amaretto, I took a chance on the Cognac French Connection, which blended the brandy with Amaretto Sour. This one became a favorite - crisp, understated sweetness with notes of subtle vanilla. I could see that one as a stogie partner... again, providing the cigar was not too far on the strong side. I saved the simplest cocktail recipe for last: the Cognac Highball. Nothing diluting the base spirit in that one but ice and tonic water - and as expected, this was my number one pick for a cigar-friendly cocktail on a warm summer evening.

Claire Coates, who slightly resembles a French, pre-scandal version of Martha Stewart, is the Cognac Bureau's Director of Communications. As we chatted amiably over a cocktail, she confirmed that cognac sales were actually up in the U.S., and most of that was due to the fact that Americans were responding to the cognac-as-cocktail-mixer campaign. She admitted that they're going head-to-head with bourbon, other whiskey, and even other brandies, from Spain and elsewhere, in their quest to win over new enthusiasts in the States. From the satisfied-looking crowd around us - including a gaggle of young ladies on the porch, sipping their Cognac Bay Breezes and having a hushed conversation that would make Sarah Jessica Parker and her TV friends proud - and the dying down of anti-French sentiment, this ancient and still-upscale brandy seems well on its way to capturing the interest of a new generation.

Me, I'm still a straight-up sipper at heart... but I wouldn't be surprised if I reached for a mixer the next time I pair up a new cigar with a favorite cognac. After all, sometimes it's good - you'll pardon the pun - to shake things up a bit.

Feedback? Contact SMOKE Senior Editor Mark Bernardo at m.bernardo@lockwoodpublications.com.