Cognac, New Orleans and the Blues
On July 10th and 11th, we’re bringing a little bit of France right into the Hotel Monteleone when The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) will be sponsoring a Tasting Room and Seminar at Tales of the Cocktail (July 8-12).
Quite naturally, Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans, used Cognac when he created the emblematic Vieux Carré cocktail, named in honor of the Quarter, in 1938. Today, Cognac is experiencing a resurgence as an important component in the bartender’s arsenal, and these two events at The Hotel Monteleone are going to prove it.
The Cognac Tasting Room will run on July 10th from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste a broad selection of Cognacs from several producers. Upon entering the room, they will be greeted with a Summit cocktail made by Jim Meehan of PDT in NYC. The Summit was created by a group of top international bartenders during the 2008 International Cognac Summit in Cognac www.cognacsummit.com.
Acclaimed spirit writer Jack Robertiello will also be on hand to answer questions, and we expect attendance from other renowned Cognac aficionados.
Then, on July 11th, the seminar, in our Riverview Room, “Cognac, From Vines to Shaker,” will run from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM. Jack Robertiello, Jim Meehan and Jean-Louis Carbonnier of Cognac USA will lead the educational seminar, focusing on tips for creative ways that bartenders can use Cognac. Freshly distilled eau-de-vie, as well as several styles of Cognac will be tasted, along with two cocktails, the Summit and the Vieux Carré, prepared by Jim. Attendees will also receive a copy of the new educational DVD developed by the BNIC.
Cognac’s connection to New Orleans will continue on July 23rd in Cognac, France, when the BNIC will host a special conference titled “Cognac and New Orleans, The History of Cocktails” during the Blues Passions festival. Ann and Paul G. Tuennerman of Tales of The Cocktail will be in attendance as keynote speakers invited by the BNIC, along with Fernando Castellon.
