Written by the Tidings Staff | 16 May 2011

Secret passwords, back alley entrances, dimly lit rooms, hushed voices and classic cocktails - so was the Speakeasy life. The 1920's prohibition-era Speakeasies played a pivotal role in spirits history, as premium recipes - now known as classic cocktails - were created for an exclusive, upscale clientele. Canadians can bring the Speakeasy style home and impress their guests with gin's re-imagined cocktail and Chef Corbin Tomaszeski's cuisine pairings. These modern combinations put a modern twist on timeless classics. Exclusive recipes and elegant entertaining tips will help any modern-day host transform into a roaring '20s entertainer.

Written by Matthew Sullivan | 18 April 2011

The “etiquette” (or label) on a bottle of cognac is an arcane document. Even understanding how old your cognac is requires some cryptography. According to the officials in Cognac, V.S. stands for Very Special, and means that the youngest eau-de-vie blended into the bottle is at least two years old. The next step is V.S.O.P., or Very Superior Old Pale; the youngest of these is four years old, although most are much older than that. Finally, there is X.O., which, in defiance of good spelling, stands for Extra Old and guarantees six years. Some cognac houses buck at these Anglicizations and instead call their X.O. “Napoléon.” Referring to L’Empereur is a patriotic gesture, but I’m not sure how the uninitiated are supposed to understand this as an aging designation.

If you find this system too fussy, then I have good news for you. There’s a new term on the market: O.G. It stands for Original Gangster, and it’s the name of a new brandy released with the assistance of rapper Ice-T. The producer, Aiko Importers, says that it is a rich spirit with notes of fruit and vanilla, but I find this hard to believe. I don’t think Ice-T does anything with a hint of vanilla. Of course, at the time of writing, O.G. is still an unofficial designation, but can formal regulation by France’s Ministère de l'Agriculture et la Pêche be far behind? After all, this brand is legit, and it needs to be protected from posers.

Cognac is itself a brand, but it is one of great antiquity, not unlike Champagne or the Rolling Stones. Cognac is simply the name given to brandy that’s made by traditional methods in the Cognac region of France. Brandy is a spirit made from distilled wine, but it differs from other grape liquors like grappa because it is matured in oak. This barrel influence is especially vital in cognac because its principal grape is Ugni Blanc, a variety with mild flavours, low alcohol and high acidity.