How To Drink Cognac: Neat, With Water, Ice Or In Cocktails
There is no single right way to drink cognac, it depends on the grade and the occasion. Here is the complete guide to serving cognac neat, with water, over ice and in cocktails.
How To Drink Cognac: Neat, With Water, Ice Or In Cocktails
Cognac is one of the most versatile spirits in the world, equally at home in a classic cocktail, sipped neat after dinner or enjoyed over ice on a warm evening. The right way to drink it depends on the grade, the occasion and your own palate. This guide covers every approach, from the traditional to the contemporary, so you can get the most out of every bottle. For a full overview of VS, VSOP and XO grades see our guide to cognac age grades explained.
What Glass Should You Use For Cognac?
The balloon glass (also called a snifter) is the traditional cognac glass, a large, round bowl that narrows at the rim to concentrate the aromas. However many cognac experts now prefer a tulip-shaped glass, which directs the aromas more precisely and avoids the overpowering alcohol notes that a wide balloon can amplify.
A standard white wine glass works perfectly well as an alternative to both and is what most people use at home. Avoid tall, narrow glasses for neat cognac as they suppress the aromas.
Whatever glass you use, fill it no more than a quarter full to leave plenty of room for the aromas to develop. Warming the glass gently in your hands before drinking releases the nose and opens up the character of the spirit.
How To Drink Cognac Neat
Drinking cognac neat is the traditional approach and the best way to appreciate the full complexity of a well-aged expression. It is the only way to drink XO and prestige cognac, where the nuances built up over decades of barrel ageing deserve to be experienced without dilution or distraction.
Temperature: Room temperature, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Unlike port or sherry, cognac should not be chilled before serving neat. Cold suppresses the aromas and mutes the flavour.
How to taste: Pour a small measure, around 25ml, into a tulip glass. Swirl gently and hold the glass at chest height rather than directly under your nose to avoid the alcohol overpowering the aromas. Take short, gentle sniffs rather than deep inhalations. Take a small sip and let it rest on the palate for a moment before swallowing.
Best grades for neat drinking: VSOP, XO and above. A quality VSOP is a genuinely satisfying neat drink at a reasonable price. XO is for special occasions or when you want to experience the very best the category has to offer.
Should You Add Water To Cognac?
Adding a small amount of still water to cognac is entirely acceptable and is something many serious cognac drinkers do. A few drops of water lowers the alcohol slightly and can open up aromas and flavours that were previously suppressed, particularly in younger VSOP expressions.
The key word is a few drops, not a splash. Start with two or three drops from a pipette or the tip of a teaspoon, swirl gently and taste again. You will often find the nose becomes more expressive and the palate softer and more approachable.
This technique works best with VSOP cognac. With XO and older expressions, the spirit has already integrated and developed to a point where water is less necessary and may actually flatten the complexity.
Can You Drink Cognac Over Ice?
Yes, and this is increasingly popular, particularly with VS cognac in warmer weather. Serving cognac over ice slows the release of alcohol vapour, making it more approachable and refreshing. It also dilutes the spirit slightly as the ice melts, which softens younger VS expressions that can be a little sharp neat.
Use large ice cubes rather than small ones, they melt more slowly and dilute less. A single large cube in a rocks glass is the cleanest approach.
Reserve over-ice serving for VS and lighter VSOP cognac. Using XO over ice is wasteful, the cold suppresses the complex aromas that make an aged expression worth the price. If you want a chilled XO experience, add a single drop of very cold water rather than ice.
Cognac In Cocktails
Cognac has a long and distinguished cocktail history. VS cognac is the natural choice for mixing, its youthful, fruit-forward character holds up well with other ingredients and the expense of VSOP or XO is unnecessary when the spirit is combined with mixers.
The classic cognac cocktails worth knowing:
Sidecar: Cognac, triple sec and fresh lemon juice. One of the great classic cocktails and one of the best introductions to cognac in a mixed context. Use VS or light VSOP.
Brandy Sour: Cognac, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white. Rich, silky and approachable. An excellent introduction for someone who finds neat spirits intimidating.
French 75: Cognac, lemon juice, sugar and champagne or sparkling wine. Celebratory and elegant. The cognac version of this classic is arguably better than the more common gin version.
Stinger: Cognac and white creme de menthe. A classic after-dinner cocktail that was extremely fashionable in the mid-twentieth century and is enjoying a quiet revival.
Cognac Old Fashioned: Cognac, sugar and Angostura bitters, stirred over ice with an orange twist. A simple and satisfying variation on the most versatile cocktail template in existence. Use a VSOP for this one, the bitters and sugar allow the character of the cognac to come through.
Cognac And Food
Cognac is most commonly drunk after dinner, and for good reason, its richness and complexity suit the end of a meal far better than the beginning. VSOP and XO cognac pair beautifully with dark chocolate, aged hard cheese, nuts and dried fruit. A glass of XO alongside a piece of 70 per cent dark chocolate is one of the simplest and most satisfying after-dinner combinations you can serve.
VS cognac works well with lighter starters and can be used in cooking to deglaze a pan, add depth to a sauce or flambee a dessert. The alcohol burns off during cooking, leaving behind the character of the spirit.
Which Cognac Should You Choose?
For cocktails: VS cognac is the right choice. Hennessy VS and Courvoisier VS are reliable and widely available options.
For sipping neat or with water: VSOP. Remy Martin VSOP and Courvoisier VSOP both offer genuine complexity at a sensible price point.
For a special occasion or a significant gift: XO. Hennessy XO, Delamain and Courvoisier XO are all exceptional choices. Delamain in particular is one of the great specialist cognac houses, producing expressions of extraordinary finesse from Grande Champagne.
For something different: Consider armagnac. For more on how cognac and armagnac compare see our cognac vs armagnac guide.
Explore our full cognac range, from accessible VS expressions through to rare XO and prestige releases from Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Delamain. All available online with free UK delivery on orders over £100.
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