Seminars

Cognac 101:

Elevate your bar program with this classic French Spirit

Cognac was once a popular ingredient in pre-prohibition and classic cocktails. However, in recent years, it has become more of a sipping spirit and has lost its place on cocktail menus. In this seminar we’re partnering with CAMUS Cognac to discuss a bit about its history, how the Camus family make its award winning cognac and how your bar program would benefit from a hefty splash of Cognac on the cocktail menu.

Notes & Resources

High-res map showing the location of Cognac and each appellation within Cognac

One-page Recap guide covering the main topics of the seminar

Find CAMUS online on Instagram and Facebook

The Catamaran

By Dave Purcell

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Cointreau Chamomille
3/4 oz Balsamic-treated Pineapple Gomme Syrup
1 1/2 oz CAMUS Borderies VSOP

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well, then strain into a coupe glass. Take a sprig of rosemary which has been pre-soaked in neutral high-proof spirit and light with a match. Lie the flaming sprig across the brim of the glass.

Make the Balsamic-treated Pineapple Gomme Syrup:
For every 3oz of pineapple gomme, add a barspoon of white balsamic vinegar.

The Faux-tai

By Tim Rabior

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz CAMUS VS
1 oz Ramazzotti Amaro
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a Hurricane glass and fill with crushed ice. Top with Tiki bitters, garnish with slices of lime peel and (optional) serve with a straw.

The French Prince of
Bel Aire

By Dave Purcell

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Pamplemousse
1 Barspoon Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz Watermelon Juice
1 1/2 oz CAMUS Borderies VSOP / Aperol Coffee Infusion

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into a bucket glass and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with a frozen watermelon spear.

Make the CAMUS Borderies VSOP / Aperol Coffee Infusion:
With 2:1 ratio Aperol to Cognac, steep 1 barspoon of coffee grounds for every 5oz of alcohol. Incorporate. Let sit for 15 minutes. Fine strain to remove grounds.

The Peach 75

By Tim Rabior

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz CAMUS VS
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Peach Ceylon Tea Syrup
Dry Sparkling Wine

Instructions:
Add all ingredients except sparkling wine to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Double-strain into a cocktail glass and top with dry sparkling wine.

Coat one side of a lemon wheel with Peach Ceylon tea leaves and place on the side of the glass as garnish.

Make the Balsamic-treated Pineapple Gomme Syrup:
Steep 4 Peach Ceylon tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add 1 cup of granulated sugar, stirring to dissolve. Cool completely before using.

The Funky Negroni

By Tim Rabior

Ingredients:

1 oz Mushroom-Thyme Infused CAMUS Borderies VSOP
1 oz St. George Bruto Americano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir well. Strain over a large ice cube in a bucket glass and garnish with a sprig of Thyme.

Make the Mushroom-Thyme Infused CAMUS Borderies VSOP:
Saute 8 oz Baby Bella mushrooms in a saute pan with 1 tsp olive oil. Saute on high heat for 5 minutes, then add 5 sprigs of thyme and continue ~2 minutes or until most of the moisture is gone. Transfer mixture to a large glass jar and add a full bottle of CAMUS Borderies VSOP. Allow to sit for one hour, then strain to remove the solids. Use a spoon to remove oil from the top of the mixture before using.

Spring & Stone

By Dave Purcell

Ingredients:

1 oz CAMUS Borderies VSOP
1/2 oz CAMUS Borderies XO
1 oz Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Elderflower Liqueur

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir well. Strain into a brandy snifter over a cube of Sesame White Tea ice. Garnish with edible flowers placed on top of the ice cube.

Make the Sesame White Tea ice cube:
Add 2oz of black sesame seeds and 500ml of water to a small saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain off seeds and steep remaining water in a barspoon of loose leaf white tea. After 10 minutes, strain tea. Let water cool and place into 2×2 ice molds before freezing overnight.

Meet the Speakers

Alexandra Albu

Sales & Marketing Director, CAMUS Wines & Spirits

A member of Camus Wines & Spirits’ team since the subsidiary opened in the US in 2011, Albu is responsible for driving growth for the entire CIL U.S. portfolio across the United States. In this capacity, Albu oversees the Sales and Marketing Teams, creates and implements programming in the on- and off-premise, manages distributor and key account relationships and develops gatekeeper training programs.

Her previous career has been in Hospitality and Events in some of Miami’s top venues- such as Barton G Group, Casa Casuarina- The Versace mansion and Fontainebleau Resort.

Tim Rabior

Bar Manager, The Other Side, Key West, FL

Rabior is an award-winning mixologist with many years in the industry. Originally from St Louis, MO, he has worked for places like Sanctuaria, St. Louis, Oddfellows in Miami Beach and Agave 308.

He currently runs the bar program at Caroline’s Other Side in Key West .

Dave Purcell

General Manager, Melrose Umbrella Co., Los Angeles, CA

Dave got his start in New York in 2007 at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Moving to LA, he began working at John Sedlar’s Playa under Julian Cox in 2012 and then Opened Dirty Laundry with Houston Hospitality.

He has run the beverage program at Melrose Umbrella Company since 2014.

Special Thanks to our Sponsor:

CAMUS Cognac

The House of CAMUS is the largest independent Cognac company in the world. Family owned and produced by five generations of the Camus family since 1863, CAMUS is dedicated to a single minded passion for creating great Cognac.

Seeing themselves as winegrowers first, the family is dedicated to preserving CAMUS’s original values while fostering innovation and the search for exceptional aromatic qualities.

With products sold worldwide, CAMUS offers an award winning portfolio of Cognacs, from the more affordable VS Elegance to its high-end Masterpiece Collection. CAMUS also offers specialty cognacs such the Ile de Re line, named after the most westerly most point in the cognac appellation. Additionally, CAMUS is the only producer to offer a 100 percent Borderies in both a VSOP and XO. The VSOP Borderies is the most awarded VSOP over the past four years.

Seminars

Cognac 101:

Elevate your bar program with this classic French Spirit