“We live very simply,” Winston Churchill wrote in 1915, ”but with all the essentials of life well understood and well provided for — hot baths and cold Champagne, new peas and old brandy.”
Peas we can take or leave, but brandy strikes us as a noble type of essential (right next to Champagne.) Yet today brandy has unfortunately acquired a more diminished and confusing reputation. Contrary to popular belief, not all brandy is Cognac. It doesn’t even need to come from France—quality brandy can be made in places as diverse as Austria, Chile or even New Mexico. True brandy is simply a spirit distilled from a wine base. It can be aged or unaged, sipped from a snifter or not, and can come from anywhere in the world. The origins are French, with an assist from Dutch traders (the word brandy comes from the Dutch word “branjewin” or “burnt wine.) And Cognac is an important style of brandy akin to what Champagne is to wine, or bourbon is to whiskey. With the wealth of diverse styles and expressions appearing in liquor stores and restaurants, we felt it was time to shed some light on this misunderstood spirit. So join us on Saturday to sip through a line up of brandies from all over the world.
The Seminar begins promptly at 2pm, please arrive a few minutes before.
Includes an appropriately paired snack
Seating is very limited.
Reservations are required, by email or phone 505.983.2100
$10 Seminar Fee, credited with a $100 purchase.