Drinks events back after the pandemic, Here are two for your diary
The first big booze shows are on the horizon – we’ll drink to that!
The Cognac Show
All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac. Though it suffers from a perception that it is too fancy, expensive, and decadent, this varied category of French grape spirits was the workhorse of many traditional cocktails, and there are reasonably priced options that really deliver on flavour.
The Cognac Show, organised by The Whisky Exchange, is your opportunity to sample dozens of delicious Cognacs, expertly mixed cocktails, and delectable food-pairings. Taking place at Glaziers Hall in Southwark, there are sessions on Friday 22 April from 5:30pm-9:30pm and Saturday 23 April from 12pm-6pm. A ticket includes entry to the event, a sampling glass, the chance to try a huge range of Cognacs and talk to the producers, as well as cocktails, and a token for a “dream pour” of a Cognac worth £250-£499 per bottle. This year’s show also features a limited number of producers of the apple-based brandy Calvados, and Cognac’s Gascon cousin, Armagnac.
With over 150 Cognacs to sample, and bottles available to purchase on-site, you may never have a better opportunity to try-before-you-buy. As you make your way around the exhibitors, look out for outstanding spirits such as the Jean-Luc Pasquet L’Organic 10 Grande Champagne, a fruity, spicy 10-year-old Cognac with notes of figs, cinnamon, vanilla, and potpourri (RRP £49.95); the Leopold Gourmel Age du Fruit 10 Carats Cognac, another 10-year-old offering, which is perfect for wine lovers and pairs well with Scandinavian and Asian cuisine (RRP £76.95); and the Ferrand 2011 Renegade Barrel No.3 Eau-de-vie de Vin, distilled in 2011 and matured in French oak barrels for nine years, before being finished for a year in American oak ex-Jamaican rum barrels (which means it cannot be sold as a Cognac), it’s a cavalcade of complex flavours ranging from tropical fruits to coffee (RRP £89.95).
For those with a taste for luxury, don’t miss the Tesseron Lot 53 XO Perfection Cognac, a blend of Grande Champagne Cognacs with opulent aromas of plums, figs, and chocolate – notes of dried fruit, wood, and tobacco reveal its long age (RRP £245); the 1970 Vallein-Tercinier Cognac from Wu Dram Clan, with garden herbs, cedar, apricots, cinnamon, leather, and liquorice on the nose, and tea, honey, tangerine, oak spice, and caramelised hazelnuts on the palate (RRP £225); and the Frapin Multimillesime No.7 1989-91-93, which combines 1989, 1991 and 1993 vintages for aromas of lime blossom, oranges, dried figs, dates and dried apricots, and a palate of honeyed fruit and nuts, oak, aromatic tea, quince jam, and ripe apricots (RRP £235).
£Bottles can be purchased from the Whisky Exchange website or in store, and tickets for the event are £50 and are available from the Cognac Show website: cognacshow.com
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival
Scotland’s largest whisky festival marks its return with six days of events for lovers of Scotch. Running from 27 April to 2 May, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival offers ticket-holders the opportunity to look inside world famous distilleries, usually closed to the public, and explore the beauty of Speyside – Scotland’s most prolific region for whisky production – situated in the north-east, between Aberdeen and Inverness. Pent-up demand means almost half the Festival’s 550 events have already sold out, so organisers are encouraging anyone interested to book tickets and accommodation now, to avoid disappointment.
Launched in 1999, the Festival is an annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink. Chairman George McNeil promises something for everyone, and welcomes the evident enthusiasm for its post-Covid return: “It’s so encouraging to know that people from all across the globe are, once again, gearing up to travel to the heart of Malt Whisky Country to discover all that Speyside has to offer; be that the abundance of distilleries, our spectacular landscapes and outdoor sports, or our world-renowned hospitality.”
Highlights of the Festival this year include: ‘Livet Illicit’, a Land Rover tour of historical whisky smuggling sites in the Glenlivet hills, and a sampling of the newly released Glenlivet 12 year old ‘Illicit Still’ malt; A Whisky and Seafood Experience, a collaboration between Benromach Distillery and The Bothy Bistro, pairing single malts with locally caught seafood; a Whisky and Chocolate Pairing, matching whiskies from Gordon & MacPhail with chocolates selected by French chef and author Martine Nouet; Celebrating 25 Years of A’bunadh, during which Aberlour’s Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank will discuss the silver anniversary of the popular, and collectable, cask strength single malt (the evening includes a tasting and dinner, and each guest will leave with an engraved bottle of the latest batch); and ‘Sleeping Giants’, a guided tour from Strathisla to Mulben that will see Chivas Regal blending expert Kevin Balmforth lead a tasting of five aged editions from the Distillery Reserve Collection.
There are hundreds of other events, including an aperitivo hour, afternoon teas, an electric bike tour, dinners, wildlife walks – even an event called “Star Wars and Whisky”.
• To view the full programme and book tickets, go to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Website: spiritofspeyside.com