armagnac — Blog — THE TIPSY MUSE

Six Figures

Today, June 6th is the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. After the D-Day Normandy Landings in 1944, General Eisenhower was introduced to the Boulard family and Calvados Boulard V.S.O.P quickly became a favorite of the General and his troops.

brandy, cocktailsVivian CromwellJune 6, 2019armagnac, calvados, french

Armagnac Lacqugy Colombard 2000

My first taste of Armagnac Lacguy was at Amanda’s house where we tried Lacquy 17 yrs old blend. It turned out to be one of the favorites that evening. Since then, I had paid a bit more attention to this house, even though we didn’t get the opportunity to visit during the press trip.

brandy, spiritsVivian CromwellFebruary 28, 2019armagnac, lacqugy

Interrobang?!

“Cynar got a vegetal earthiness hidden under its dark herbal hood. Artichokes also have the ability to temporarily suspend over our perception of sweetness, so when using Cynar in cocktails, it pays to pair it with sweeter items.

brandy, amaroVivian CromwellFebruary 28, 2019armagnac

Pellehaut 1994 Folle Blanche

Folle Blanche is a grape variety grown in Western France. It used to be the most popular grape for Armagnac and Cognac (slightly less extent). However, Folle Blanche is highly susceptible to rot and disease. The late 19th century Phylloxera epidemic wiped out most of it, since then it has been replaced by Bacco 22-A which is the only hybrid grape allowed by A.O.C.

brandy, spiritsVivian CromwellFebruary 22, 2019pellehaut, armagnac

My Little Delord Family

Before I knew it, I am a proud owner of 5 different Armagnac Delord. I thought to share some of my learnings on Armagnac Delord and my thoughts on these five different expressions.

brandy, distilleryVivian CromwellJanuary 16, 2019armagnac, delord

Fitte et Laterrade 1979

During my week-long visit to the Armagnac region, one of the unique Armagnac houses we met is Armagnac Fitte et Laterrade. Vincent Laterrade, the owner of the house, has been a sommelier in his previous life. He patiently recorded the stocks of Armagnac from very small producers throughout 20 years – talk about the virtue of patience! Together with the Fitte family, winemaker at the Château de Herrebouc, they distill and age in the small cellar.

brandy, spiritsVivian CromwellDecember 18, 2018armagnac, Fitte et Laterrade

Croft-y Pear Julep

The traditional way to poach pears has been using mulled wine, but I decided to use Croft Reserve Tawny Port given its rich flavors. For this classic Julep, I used a split of Armagnac, pear brandy, and Croft Tawny Reserve—all grape based spirits!

fortified wine, cocktailsVivian CromwellDecember 1, 2018port, armagnac

Where to start with Armagnac

In the past year, I have been traveling through some countries where brandy has been the much kept secret such as Peru (Pisco) and Portugal (Aguardiente), I started falling in love with it. This March, I got pretty curious about Armagnac, the oldest brandy in France and also the cousin of the more well known Cognac.

brandy, spiritsVivian CromwellNovember 30, 2018armagnac