Courvoisier global brand ambassador Rebecca Asseline joined Drinks International during London Cocktail Week to discuss the brand’s latest coffee-pairing initiations.
At the pairing event in London, guests were given a cognac-based espresso martini upon arrival and the Courvoisier VSOP was paired with three different coffees.
“We’re trying to convey the similarities between the processes of how both products are made,” said Asseline. “For example the roasting of the coffee beans effects coffee in a similar way to how the roasting of barrels effects the finishes of Courvoisier.”
A large portion of the wine industry nowadays is trying to break free from some of its roots, but Courvoisier is embracing its traditional coffee relationship and expanding on it.
Asseline added: “It is a pairing which is known. There’s no doubt about that. France has been drinking coffee and cognac together since the late 1800s , but not only are we trying to spread this trend further abroad, but we’re also expressing how cognac should be enjoyed in very different ways.
“What we’re facing with the category and not just Couvroisier is that people are being put off by the years and years of marketing emphasising the luxury side of cognac. By doing this, people think they need to have a lot of knowledge to enjoy a cognac and that is not true.”
A large potion of the benefits from events such as Courvoisier’s pairing at Joyeux Bordel in London is the education of consumers to take what they learn in a bar and take it into their homes. It is therefore important not to forget about the quality of both parts of a pairing.
“Instant coffee wouln’t work that well,” added Asseline. “We’d at least need people to use an espresso machine to complement the cognac.”
Aside from the coffee pairings, Asseline is also keen to retrace the history of French cocktails to when cognac was an important player.
“What we’re also trying to revive is the fact that French brandies were the heart of a lot of period cocktails such as the Sazerac.
“If we can get people to embrace the classics and discover the truly French cocktails, I think they would be very popular.”
Cognac is fighting to remain a favourite digestif with a coffee in Europe, but with innovation on its traditions, the French brandy could spice up its traditional image of the elegant couple.
