VSOP COGNAC
This is what your Sidecar is missing.
A recent event celebrating the launch of a new Cognac bottling included a rare beast: a flawless Sidecar.
While the event was intended to spotlight the debut of an XO—aged a minimum of 10 years—the drink was made with VSOP.
In the U.S., VSOP typically is the most popular Cognac, valued both for sipping and mixing into drinks—like the Sidecar. Since the French brandy can be expensive, most bartenders opt for either VS (aged a minimum of two years) or VSOP (aged a minimum of four years) when mixing cocktails.
Most Sidecars are forgettable, but this one inspired musing about why we don’t see more Cognac cocktails…
“VSOPs are usually our choice because they are full in flavor and body, and are versatile enough for all cocktail applications,” says the Death & Co. bar team in their book . Compared to the “woodsy” flavor of VS, most VSOPs tend to have a distinctly fruity flavor.
