Marking its Canadian debut in support of Prostate Cancer, Remy Martin’s The Heart of Cognac Experience showcases the beloved cognac brand in an exclusive tasting and blending experience. After a highly successful United States tour in 2011, The Remy Martin: Heart of Cognac Experience made its way to Canada last week in celebration of the world’s most famous cognac. Transforming the space at 155 Liberty Street in Liberty Village (a former yoga studio) now until November 3rd, the experience is designed to educate on Remy Martin in an informative and interactive evening of learning, blending and, of course, tasting, as guests sample the Remy Martin product line.
Upon arrival in the reception bar area, guests are invited to try one of four cocktails designed to showcase the versatility and cocktail-making capabilities of the cognac. This means cocktails made with Rémy Martin V.S.O.P Fine Champagne Cognac, like the martini-style Remy Sidecar, the Old-Fashioned, a very fall appropriate cinnamon tasting Spicy Toddy or simply Remy Martin on the rocks. Sadly missed, we are told another Remy Martin cocktail option is the French Mojito.
Lead by passionate Remy Martin brand ambassadors, The Heart of Cognac Experience provides an enriched experience on the crafting of champagne cognac, a method that has remained unchanged for over 250 years. Over welcome cocktails, the experience begins with a brief video that introduces guests to the Cognac region of France and provides a simple-to-digest (after all, cognac quickly goes to the head) explanation of cognac.
Next, in the Blending Room, the ambassador leads guests in a tasting of Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. The Blending Room showcases a wall of bottles of eau-de-vie, a clear fruit brandy that is produced by fermentation and double distillation, with bottles aligned to highlight the gradual colouring caused through aging – from clear to a deep brownish rust colour – the darkest of which had been aged for 40 years. The eau-de-vie used in Rémy Martin products comhes from the Grande Champagne and the Petite Champagne, two best growth areas of the Cognac region.
Guests are then invited to blend their own flavour of cognac in an attempt to recreate the Rémy Martin V.S.O.P by blending a 30ml combination of three different eau-de-vie: 4 years, 8 years and 14 years. The ambassador judges the winning combination, but offers no exact figures; the actual V.S.O.P blend is a trade secret.
Next was a sneak preview of the new seasonal blend – the coveted Coeur De Cognac (which we are told pairs well with smoked salmon), before its official Canadian release, along with the XO Excellence Cognac. With the XO standing for “extra old,” the XO Excellence cognac is aged for 10-37 years. Rich with cinnamon and ginger notes, it pairs well with chocolate. Both make well-received hostess gifts or party favours this holiday season.
A change from the typical pre-dinner cocktail hour or pre-party night “pre-drink,” The Heart of Cognac Experience offers a civilized and educational way to kick off the evening. The experience is peppered with interesting facts, serving and paring options, and no shortage of clinking glassware.
The event runs for a month and is open to the public with limited availability from October 10th to November 4th. Participants can register at www.remymartinexperience.ca. All proceeds from The Heard of Cognac Experience will go to Prostate Cancer Canada.