It's cognac's time

By Jesse Cyr

For years we've been seeing consumers flock to American whiskey, rum, and tequila. Bourbon and rye have been in such high demand that at times it can be incredibly hard to find bottles that were readily available years ago. The resurgence of the tropical drink craze has shined a bright light on many amazing rum producers around the world. Tequila, almost from out of nowhere, is one of the hottest spirits on the market today with a 40% growth of sales in the United States in part due to celebrity endorsements (for better or worse) and the demand for more premium sipping spirits. Even with no signs of any of these slowing down, I feel there's a bit of a comeuppance in other categories like brandy, especially cognac.

Throw a stick down the street in Seattle and you'll most likely hit a whiskey bar. Rumba has one of the best selections of rum in the United States. Barrio has all the delicious agave spirits you could imagine. These are well known and respected watering holes right here in our amazing city. But looking around at everything, it's hard to find anyone with a vast brandy selection. Yes, a handful of bars have some great bottles and curated menus, but no one would consider them to be focusing on the spirit. When we opened Founder's Club in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, I wanted to push for it to be a brandy-centric bar. In all honesty, it was for some selfish reasons as cognac is my favorite spirit category. But also, there is no bar in Seattle that has dedicated itself to having a deep brandy selection.

The United States is the largest consumer of cognac in the world, and yet it's still a misunderstood spirit by many people. In 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, sales of cognac increased by almost 30% globally. In the USA, we increased our sales by 11% which was the equivalent of over 100 million bottles. A significant portion of that was driven by the large brands like Hennessy and Rémy Martin, but smaller producers are starting to gain traction in the premium and super premium categories. Today, there are more cognac brands available on the shelf in your favorite liquor store then there have been in years. With the clear increased interest of cognac, I believe it's finally time that consumers are going to be willing to branch out, away from whiskey and other spirits, toward brandies.

Why is cognac so interesting, though? I'm sure if you can think up a stereotype of cognac, the images of an old man sitting by a fireplace with his dog, drinking from an obnoxiously large snifter might come to mind. That could not be further from what cognac actually is. Cognac is one of the most diverse spirits on the market. They have different options of wood for aging the spirit, the use of dry or humid cellars, and of course the terroir of where the grapes come from. All these things contribute to giving you different flavor and aroma profiles, weight on your palate, and finish. A Pinot Noir from Oregon and one from Burgundy will taste much different from each other. It's the same concept with cognac coming from different areas within the region. That's incredibly exciting to me.

Jesse Cyr, courtesy of Fairmont Olympic

Going back in time to one week before Thanksgiving in 2021, Founder's Club opened. It was definitely a nerve racking experience. Would our guests be into what we're offering? How will they react to not seeing all the familiar brands they're used to? Within the first two weeks, I had guests not only ordering cognac and other brandies, but wanting to have conversations at the table about these spirits. Several guests came in saying that they've never had cognac before, they only drink whiskey or rum. I would tell them, "After you're done with your drink, I bet I can find a cognac you'll enjoy." When their experience with us was over, everyone left happy and had a new appreciation for the spirit. Seeing this firsthand made me very happy. Brandy is starting to win people over and they're getting more comfortable and confident to order it in bars. Whether it's consumed all on its own or in a cocktail, I feel cognac is going to make waves in the very near future.

April 2022

Jesse Cyr curates an elevated beverage program for the Fairmont Olympic's Olympic Bar, Founder's Club, and The George signature restaurant. He has worked in the industry in Seattle for nearly a decade (Rob Roy, The Charter Hotel), and been featured in Zagat, Eater, Thrillist, and The Seattle Times. Cyr is a certified Sherry Wine Specialist and has cocktails credited in numerous books and other publications. The hotel's Olympic Bar was introduced in 2021. The Founder's Club complements the Olympic Bar and is tucked away in a "secret space" to create an intimate social club feel behind the bookcase. The George restaurant opened in April 2022. Read our story here.