I bought my first bottle of cognac last night... what constitutes proper cognac drinking etiquette?

Question

First off, cognac sure warms up the chest when you drink it, doesn't it?!? :D

Anyway, so what's involved in cognac drinking etiquette? I don't want to look foolish in front of sophisticated guests now...

Are there special cognac glasses? How do I pour it in? How much should I pour? How do I hold my glass? Does my pinky stick out? (just kidding)

Can I mix cognac with something else, or it strictly to be on its own?

What else should I know about becoming a more sophisticated cognac drinker?

Thanks!

Great answers so far. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. You guys are awesome.

Answer 1

Do not swig it from the bottle. Cognac is consumed in small amounts, usually no more than two ounces per glass. The glass is quite small and fragile. Cognac serves as an apertif. You drink a small amount of it after dinner, when you have repaired to the library for a discussion of politics, sex or religion with a Davidoff Anniversario No. 2 cigar.

Proper drinking etiquette of a spirit like cognac calls for you to let it breathe a while. You want to let the vapors open up and then you swirl the glass slightly to bring out the legs. You take a slow sniff with your nose an inch or two away from the lip and comment on how "full" and "complex" is the aroma. Take a small sip and wait a second or two before saying in your most knowledgeable tone that "it disperses easily across the palate." Compare it to another more famous or succesful year from a well-known distillery and you'll sound like James Bond. Always try to work it in that this cognac is "The Macallan" of cognacs. Hold the glass with your thumb and first two fingers by the stem only, never by the bell and never in your fist, like holding a beer can. Slowly rotate the glass in your fingers to keep the "voice" of the cognac "speaking." Compare this cognac favorably with one you had in Paris in 1931, then offer a toast "to Fronce."

Answer 2

Put the glass stem between your fingers, two fingers on each side. Hold it like a bowl with one hand. If the glass has no stem just hold it like you would any other glass. Tilt the glass slightly and poor the congnac, never fill the glass. You only need to pour about an ounce into the glass. You can always get more. Gracefully smell the Cognac and take in the full bodied smell. Sip on it. It's only there as a social measure and is only meant for say, black tie functions , mansion parties, political events, weddings, Having guests over for dinner. Usually you have the congnac after dinner when you all retire to the living room. It's a social thing with class. Oh, and do not mix it with anything, not even an olive, Cognac is a loner drink. Keep away from open flame. However, if your just in your local pub or bar disregard above said mentioned and do whatever you want with it. Personally I hate cognac. I'm just a simple beer man and don't feel the need to impress anybody. Although it does make for an interesting experience. Good luck.

Answer 3

hmm well yes, there are special glasses. you can look around and/or ask at any kitchen store or even some place like ross. the glasses have a globe shape, smaller at the top and rounder at the bottom, this is meant to hold the cognac in the best possible way. other than that, no you don't mix it with anything. you don't have to worry about holding your finger out or anything like that! just pour a small amount in the glass (don't fill it or even fill it to half, just a couple of inches max) and just take your time, swill it around, smell it, take small sips. that's about it! don't sweat it.

Answer 4

Brandy snifter is needed. The bowl shape allows you to cradle the glass in your hand which heats the Cognac and allows the vapors to accumulate in the glass. Sipping is the ONLY way to drink Cognac and the shape of the class allows the nose to be fully involved in the process, hence the name "snifter".

Answer 5

not out of the bottle. never mix it. use brandy if you want a mix. the glass is a "snifter". usually it's an after-dinner drink, but on a cold day, well, you said it. not over half full. pour it with a "purpose", you won't bruise it. sip it, don't shoot it. ps-on a cold day outside, it's permissable to both drink from the bottle AND shoot it!! careful how much you drink, it'll kick that b*tt.

Answer 6

Considering that vodka is about 40% alcohol and each bottle is about 600ml (depending on brand) then you drank in total about 3 litres of vodka in turn meaning you have drunk about 1.2 litres of pure alcohol. 1 bottle is enough to kill a man (sometimes) so you might have got tricked or have drunk something else than vodka.

Answer 7

OVER THE TEETH UNDER THE GUMS LOOK OUT STOMACH HERE SHE COMES AT LEAST THATS THE WAY I WOULD DRINK THAT CRAPPY HOOCH