Martell Cognac Lifestyle Brand Ambassador, Hussain van Roos says Cognac is magic! Picture by Jabunkosi.

The 4th of June World Cognac Day! 

Cognac is brandy made from white wine grapes. The grapes are made into wine, then distilled into a delicious grape spirit known as eau de vie, and then aged to make cognac.

With the help of Martell Cognac Lifestyle Brand Ambassador, Hussain van Roos we looked at ways on how to celebrate and best enjoy this beverage today.

Van Roos says the only right way to enjoy cognac is the way you want to drink it: neat, on the rocks, with a splash of water or as a cocktail.  

“Cognac is magic. You just have to go to a distillery in Cognac to understand how great the product is. The smells, the process, the tools used to make a white grape become cognac make it magical, almost mystical.

"My favorite thing about cognac is the fact that it is a blend of many eaux-de-vies. The blend, which is the secret of our master blender, gives all the complexity and character of the resulting cognac. There could be more than 100 different eaux-de-vie inside a simple bottle” 

“For devoted cognac lovers, I would say go for it neat. Pair it with food or with a good cigar. As cognac is all about the roundness and the smoothness, food pairing can truly be amazing." 

How to pair your cognac

You can try cognac with beef, chocolate or sushi. "Each bite will reveal new notes and will make them travel to the finest terroirs of the Cognac”, he says.