DRINKS OF THE SEASON

The festive season may be a distant memory but the drinks live on. A traditional time for all the big names to either launch new concoctions or celebrate existing ones, the pre-Christmas period dispelled any lingering sense of economic gloom with some extravagant parties where premium brands were to be enjoyed.

It is not often that the splendidly appointed boardroom at Fortnum & Mason is open to outsiders but this was chosen by Courvoisier, the fine French brandy house, for a dinner accompanied by its liquid gold. 

This was not simply a pre-Christmas jolly but the launch of four new marques to the Courvoisier stable, in limited editions. These are very special cognacs indeed that have been gently ageing in Courvoisier’s Paradis cellars over many years, and selected to represent ‘the Golden Age of Paris,’ said master blender Patrice Pinet.

First off was the Courvoisier Reserve of 1978, aged for 35 years and bottled in a vintage Courvoisier bottle of the style first used at the beginning of the 20th century. Just 10 bottles are available of this luxury vintage, which are likely to be snapped up by connoisseurs at the price of £1,100.

This was followed by L’Esprit de Josphine, a blend of rare aged cognacs, some dating back to the 19th century and enjoyed at the court of Napoleon lll – the grandson of Josephine. It has a deep mahogany colour and a rich nose of port, cinnamon and almond. In tribute to Josephine, it is bottled in just 8 Lalique decanters, each engraved with a letter J, priced at £9,715.

The Courvoisier Heritage de Louis Renard blends other rare cognacs from the cellars around the 1893 vintage, distilled into just 50 crystal decanters by Baccarat, each £7,500.

And the ultimate tasting of the evening came with a cognac matured for up to 50 years in oak casks, made exclusively of eaux-de-vie from a single winemaking family, the Tribute Borderies.

Just 5 cognac aficionados may acquire this nectar, in hand blown dames-jeannes ( demi-johns containing 1.75 litres, see top) that will set them back by £51,600 each. The cognac may then be transferred to 43 bespoke 70cl bottles that may be personalised to make very special gifts.

In addition, with each dame-jeannes comes the opportunity for a stay at the Courvoisier chateau in Jarnac, a visit to the cellars, and dinner with Patrice Pinet followed by a tasting of the Tribute Borderies, A bargain.

SOMETHING of a bespoke service for malt whisky lovers was launched by Glenfiddich late last year, with a wide range of single malt whiskies in the Glenfiddich Gallery. It offers the opportunity for whisky lovers to input details on their tastes and preferences, which are then analysed to indicate what type of whisky suits their palate. Once the whisky has been selected, the packaging may be personalised to give a ‘bespoke’ bottle.

A lucky few were invited to the launch party pre-Christmas in a gallery just off Regent Street, to savour tastings of some wonderful malts.

Glenfiddich is still a family owned distillery, part of the William Grant company founded in 1887, and has a stock of rare and ancient whiskies. The new online portal of the Glenfiddich Gallery offers the opportunity to access this extensive selection, and then have personalised bottling and labelling. With an incredible range of fine single malts on offer, there is a whisky to suit all tastes – and Glenfiddich encouraged its party guests to try many of them.

Walking out into a Regent Street lit up with the Christmas lights, cockles warmed by superb drams, it was easy to believe that all of them would suit any taste – but then, as with a Savile Row suit, a personalised service gives an extra glow. Go to www.glenfiddichgallery.com to create a whisky profile.

SEEMINGLY at odds with the establishment chosen for its seasonal party, champagne house Piper Heidsieck staged a celebration at the Whisky Mist nightclub off Park Lane. But this was to launch a new Piper Heidsieck Rare VIP area within the club, and which features an ornate ceiling created especially by the Giles Miller Studio, based upon the intricate casing of the Piper-Heidsieck Rare bottle.

It is indeed a considerable feat of intricate art. Alas, such was the throng of guests and the steady flow of fine and rare champagnes that flowed and canapés passing that few were gazing upwards. However, this picture shows the bottle of the Rare vintage which inspired the ceiling, that may be appreciated while savouring its contents in the new bar.

The Cuvee Rare is Piper-Heidsieck’s premier champagne, winner of a range of top awards. Its non-vintage Rosé Sauvage and Vintage 2006 will also be available at the club. It’s the champagne that has been drunk by such luminaries as Marie Antionette and Marilyn Monroe, and is now destined to please the current crowd of Whisky Mist celebrities. 

TAKING the popular pop-up idea to new heights, Remy Martin took over four floors of a Georgian house in Soho for a lavish celebration of its vintages. Hosted by the brand new Chief Executive, Eric Vallat, it continued as a members club over two weeks into December, its opening party attracting a clutch of celebrities to help the party go with a swing.

Some splendidly potent cocktails were created using Remy Martin of course, and made by some of London’s top mixologists (new word for dictionaries). Agostino Perrone from The Connaught, Alex Kratena from Artesian, Erik Lorincz of The American Bar at The Savoy, Ladislav Piljar from Bam Bou, and Alastair Burgess from East End success Happiness Forgets were kept busy shaking all evening.

Still family owned since its launch in the 1700s, Remy Martin uses only eaux-de-vie grapes from the top two Cognac region – Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne – the cognac aged in French oak casks for many years. The top blend, the Louis Xlll, is aged for at least 40 years and commands a price of around £3,250. Happily, there are also very nice, less expensive Remy’s, starting from around £20. It was a seasonal treat to be able to try them all.