Mixology Planet Tour 2012

If Prohibition taught us anything, it’s that banning a substance will not end consumption thereof. So, when alcohol was made illegal in the US (but not Canada), our northerly neighbor suddenly became a favored source of illicit whisky for bootleggers and rum-runners.

Because of its strategic location just across the Detroit river, Canadian Club soon became the largest distributed brand of Canadian whisky, exporting as much as 20,000 cases per month. It was adopted as the drink of choice amongst mobsters and bootleggers, the most famous being Al Capone, which only boosted its popularity further.

With such an increase in the illicit consumption of Canadian whisky, there arose multiple factors which placed Canadian Club at a unique historical crossroads during this period. The US no longer regulated the production or sale of alcohol. This meant that Canadian sources were certain to be of higher and more consistent quality than their American counterparts. Unfortunately, it also meant that there was hardly anything preventing counterfeiters from passing bogus bottles of rotgut off as the genuine Canadian article. Prohibition was a dangerous time, not just for purveyors, but also for drinkers of whiskey, often of dubious origin and poisonous composition.

Just a glimpse: one of the many shelves filled with confiscated counterfeit bottles designed to resemble Canadian Club

This scenario led to some of the most colorful episodes in the history of the Canadian border since the war of 1812. Tunnels dedicated to the transport of whiskey, dozens of different fake Canadian Club bottles, and violent speedboat chases just a few miles from the coast are but a few of the features that defined this period.

Submarine tunnel: Hiram Walker's personal tunnel led from the C.C. brand center in Windsor to the other side of the river in Detroit.

Much ink can be, and has been spilled on this subject, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Below, crates of Canadian whiskey that were first dumped by bootleggers on the verge of capture in the Detroit River, later recovered as historical artifacts.

Sunken treasure: crates of Prohibition-era whisky bottles collected from the bottom of the Detroit River

December 5, 1933 marked the much-celebrated end of Prohibition in the U.S. But Americans still had the taste of Canadian whisky, and other imported spirits, lingering on their palates. Canadian Club was not to be forgotten, and to this day remains as one of the most popular Canadian whiskies in America.

An aged eau de vie at heart, a brandy in spirit, cognac adds a different sort of mystique to the table. Cognac is brandy’s sophisticated and worldly cousin. It is known around the world as a spirit drunk by millionaires and bon vivants. This cultivated image is owed, for the most part, to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC). This organization, established in 1946, enforces the rules and regulations implemented for cognac production, as well as the promotion of the spirit worldwide. Right now, 97% of all cognac is exported to foreign markets: the top three importers being the United States, Singapore, and China. It is safe to say that without the BNIC, there would not be such a vast, worldwide market for cognac.

Part of what makes the marketing of cognac so successful is its perceived image of timeless quality. It is a luxury good, a symbol of status and wealth, much like a designer handbag or a sports car. Unlike these other luxury goods, however, fine cognac is accessible to more than just the one percent. In any US liquor store, there will inevitably be bottles of Hennessy VS on the shelf for a few dollars more than the mid-range brandy next to it, but it’s not unheard-of for bottles of Cognac to range from $30 to $30,000 in the same store. Point being, cognac is accessible to, and marketed to, almost every drinker, from the budget-conscious to moneyed elites. Unlike other spirits, even the cheapest cognac is regarded and sophisticated to the average consumer. Claire Coates, the BNIC’s director of communications, talks about the challenges of marketing cognac worldwide: “Cognac has always been considered to be a serious product. But it is also important to be accessible, so we must offer accessibility without losing our soul, or identity; producers are looking to fit their products into this trend. Society is changing; people want more fun in their lives. Showing cognac as seductive, as fashionable and sensual, means it is seen as a pleasure.”(1)

Recently, larger cognac companies are capitalizing on society’s need for fun, fashion, and pleasure. Hennessy’s current U.S. ad campaign, “What’s your wild rabbit,” featuring work by Martin Scorsese and Futura, focuses on unleashing the passions of its consumers, old and young alike. Courvoisier is currently promoting its new products, C and Rose, the former being a lighter-bodied cognac made for mixing, the latter a liqueur consisting of cognac and rose wine. Pierre Ferrand, while remaining true to its legacy, just released their 1840 Original Formula cognac, a higher proof, full-bodied cognac ideal for cocktails. Almost every cognac company is following a similar path, seizing the opportunity to cater to the young and the young at heart.

In the Hennessy Chateau

Tradition at its finest: a 77 year old barrel of cognac

While cognac is still something that is deeply rooted in tradition and history, it is branching out into new and uncharted territory. The BNIC is now presented with the challenge of representing cognac in two different ways: the conventional and the fashionable. In the United States, change is the only constant, however, cognac’s more customary aspects shine in other countries’ markets. Along with the help of individual cognac companies, the BNIC showcases the incredible versatility of cognac. While marketing in the United States may be geared toward a new order, it is cognac’s rich history that sets it apart from other spirits. Whether you’re sitting under laser light in a night club or candlelight in a yacht club, the contents of one’s glass are an expression of heritage and terroir, the remnants of a hundreds-year old tradition, with a dash of character from the cellar masters and distillers.

On the banks of the Charente. Probably a master distiller.

Fairy, goddess, muse. The personification of absinthe into a powerful female spirit speaks volumes of the spell it casts over its drinkers. To most, absinthe conjures visions of wispy, green vapor rising from a glass, translucent, sultry nymphs, and hallucinations of emerald fairies. With such eccentric connotations and a tumultuous history, one might believe that absinthe is indeed a magical, hallucinatory spirit only fit for poets or lushes.

Albert Maignan's The Green Muse

Simply enough, absinthe is the distilled maceration of plants and botanicals, much like a gin or a flavored vodka. What makes this spirit so special is its primary ingredient, wormwood, a bitter shrub with a silvery-grey sheen. The latin term for the plant is artemisia absinthium, with the word “artemisia” referring to the ancient Greek goddess Artemis, the huntress. Perhaps the once popular nickname for absinthe, “green goddess” refers to this Hellenistic goddess in particular, who is also associated with wilderness, childbirth, and curing disease, especially in women. Wormwood has indeed been used as a popular remedy for certain diseases and ailments, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Absinthium is a Latinized version of the ancient Greek word apsinthion, which some claim means “undrinkable” or “unenjoyable”, presumably referring to wormwood’s bitterness. Medicinally, a brewed tea of wormwood had been used to treat a broad spectrum of ailments, from headaches to labor pains. Absinthe’s popularity was sprung from similar roots, having been used as an anti-malarial for French troops stationed in Algeria.

Absinthe is classically known as popular amongst bohemian French culture; however, during its 50 year heyday during the latter part of the 19th century, it was a popular drink amongst everyone: rich and poor. Bourgeois and proletariat alike would congregate in cafes during l’heure verte, or “the green hour”, to enjoy a few glasses of absinthe. Painters, poets, and writers would drink it to induce creativity, la muse verte (the green muse) at their fingertips. The absinthe louche ritual became known to artists as unleashing the green fairy, or la fee verte. These endearing nicknames imply that there is indeed something sacred about absinthe; for there has yet to be a cognac hour or a wine fairy.

La fee verte is unleashed through the louching of the suspended oils in the absinthe

An absinthe fountain at the Moulin Rouge

Scientifically, thujone, the predominant chemical in wormwood, is classified as a convulsant. It’s molecular makeup, however, is similar to that of THC, the essence of marijuana. Analysis has shown that in large doses, the psychoactive effects can be quite similar, however any given bottle of absinthe is almost 100% thujone-free. Chemical analyses have been performed on the other herbs that season absinthe, and have shown that in large doses, anise can provoke drunkenness, convulsions, and opium-like euphoria. Hyssop injected into rats induced convulsions. Again, the amounts of these chemicals in a bottle of absinthe are certainly negligible, although small traces of said molecules are present in every glass.

Were these essences responsible for Van Gogh’s green-tinted, halogenic paintings? Verlaine’s lurid poems? Wilde’s sardonic epigrams? There has yet to be a definitive answer, yet it is known that absinthe has been the muse for these poets and other bohemian artists of the time. A surprisingly poetic description of an absinthe stupor was posted in the American Journal of Pharmacy in 1868: “You seem to lose your feet, and you mount a boundless realm without horizon. You probably imagine that you are going in the direction of the infinite, whereas you are simply drifting into the incoherent.” Perhaps there is something inexplicably magical in absinthe, something that opens the boundaries of the mind, something that fosters creativity and self-expression. Or perhaps it’s the 140 proof alcohol mingling with the liver of its imbiber. The specific effects are better left unanalyzed and to the imagination, for as long as absinthe remains shrouded in mystery, it will continue to be a goddess, fairy, and muse.