The Top 5 Cognacs For Cocktails

HINE is a cognac house which only uses eaux de vie from Grande and Petite Champagne growing regions. Their H by HINE is created using 20 different eaux de vie with a minimum aging of 4 years. HINE is a producer which distills its wine on the lees providing a roundness to their cognacs.

Gaston Tessendier founded the Distillerie Tessendier estate in 1880 and today is led by brothers Jérôme and Lillian Tessendier, the fourth generation Master Cellars in charge. Their VS Carte Blanche has been produced in small batches to maintain character. It is comprised of brandies blended from the Fins Bois and Petite Champagne crus. The eaux-de-vie distilled from ugni blanc grapes are kept in new Limousin casks for 6 months, and then transferred to older casks for further aging, between 4 and 8 years. This is the youngest expression in the brand's lineup and is bottled at 40% ABV.

Released in 2011,1840 Original Formula was created as a collaboration between Pierre Ferrand owner, Alexandre Gabriel, their cellar master, Christian Guerin, and cocktail historian, Dave Wondrich. Using a rare 19th century cognac, Pinet-Castillon Cognac from 1840 as a base, this product is designed to replicate what would have been used then in cocktails and punches. Its youthful fruity and floral character along with its higher proof for added oomph makes it stand out from other VS cognacs.

Camus VSOP Cognac is part of the core range of cognacs from the largest family-owned cognac house. All cognacs from the house include at least some eaux-de-vie from the Borderies region. The VSOP is part of its collection of intensely aromatic cognacs. The wines are distilled on the lees and a technique called "Instensity" is used in the distillation process where the "heads" that present the best aromatic qualities are selected rather than being redistilled and set aside. The eaux-de-vie is matured in small, lightly toasted fine grain French oak. Aged a minimum of 4 years.

Frapin 1270 Cognac honors the beginnings of the Frapin family legacy, stretching back 21 generations to 1270. Still family-owned and single estate produced, Frapin operates 240 hectares of vineyards in the Grande Champagne region, also known as the Premier Cru de Cognac. This release is a VS Cognac aged for approximately five years, and is largely intended for use in cocktails. Frapin 1270 hit the U.S. market in April 2019.