The Best Spirits for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is all about love and couples so I’ve put together pairs of spirits I love from each of the main spirits categories. These are not, one for him or her, as I don’t believe in imposing flavour on anyone. These are simply pairs of the best examples of spirits I’ve tasted recently, and if you needed to replace your other halves favourite spirit in time for Valentine’s Day, then I don’t think you’d go wrong with any of these.

The Best Tequila For Valentine’s Day

Mijenta Blanco 

There is tequila I used to drink in my youth, mainly with salt and lemon, late in a bar whilst in Edinburgh at university, and this is about as far removed from that style of Tequila as you can get. It is elegant and vibrant with fruity flavours and delicate agave notes running all the way through the palate. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave and bottled with no filtration, Mijenta supports whale conservation and partners with The Ocean Foundation. They also use local glass, and the labels are created using agave waste. There is a feel-good factor to this lovely tequila, just as it makes you feel good whilst drinking it.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £54.95 // US $49.99

Volcan De Mi Tierra Blanco 

Created with a blend of Blue Agave from both the highlands and lowland of Jalisco, the agave is grown in the shadow of the volcano, hence the name. The volcano erupted over 200,000 years ago and created rich volcanic soils which are perfect for growing agave. This Tequila has lots of complexity and is great for sipping, using in a Paloma, and it makes a mean Margarita as well.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £44.74 // US $48.99

The Best Gin For Valentine’s Day

Mermaid Pink Gin 

This pink gin is unlike many others. It is vibrant and not too sweet. It still has the Mermaid Gin at its heart, and the fruity extra flavour comes from an infusion of strawberries grown on the Isle of Wight, where this distillery is found. The strawberries mix well with the original botanicals, and it makes a brilliant G&T, especially if topped with strawberries! The pink hew is just enough to let you know this is a pink gin and therefore to expect lots of fruitiness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it Here: £37.99

Kyrö Pink Gin

Made in Finland, the team at Kyro has attempted to make a pink gin for everyone. Well, I’m not sure about that, all I do know is that this is my favourite pink gin ever! If it’s others as well, then that just goes to show they’ve been pretty successful. Made with foraged strawberries, rhubarb and lingonberries, there is a creaminess to the gin, and it tastes very fresh and not artificial at all. I’m sure this would be great in cocktails, but above all, it makes a very refreshing G&T. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 38.2%
Find it Here: £29.95

The Best Vodka For Valentine’s Day

Dima’s Vodka Ukrainian Three Grain

This vodka not only tastes brilliant but is doing something to put right some of the wrong in the world. £5 from every sale gets donated to Ukraine to help the war effort. Back to the vodka, it’s made from three grains giving a lovely depth of fruity earthy flavours and is brilliant chilled a little with a little pickle - just how it’s drunk in its home country. It also makes excellent cocktails, not just in flavour, but the vodka has a creamy mouthfeel which helps everything slip down nicely. As they say in Ukraine: Budmo!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £35

X Muse

Made in Scotland from a blend of two heritage varieties of barley, Maris Otter and Plumage Archer, this vodka has huge complexity of flavour and great texture. X Muse, pronounced Tenth Muse, reflects the sum of its parts, blended together as the tenth muse was a sum of all other nine in mythology. Not just an interesting story, it’s one of the best vodkas I’ve tasted in recent times.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £55.74

The Best Whisky For Valentine’s Day

Glen Moray Port Finish

Glen Moray creates the best value single malt whisky by far, and this expression is no different. This port finish is part of the Glen Moray Classic range and has had an eight-month finish in a port cask. This not only gives delicate red fruit flavours alongside those classic orchard fruits and honey, but a slightly pink tinge. Well, it is Valentine’s day.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £26.90 // US $34.99

GlenAllachie 11

GlenAllachie is becoming known for its use of different oak finishes and maturations, and here we have a whisky first matured in American ex-bourbon casks for nine years, and then finished in ruby port casks. There are lots of caramel, honey, and vanilla notes, but also red berries and some hedgerow fruit as well. There is a rich hew of pink, and this whisky goes to show that as long as the casks are good, single malt doesn’t have to be old to be very good.  

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find it Here: £81.15

The Best Brandy/Cognac For Valentine’s Day

Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal

Back in 1738 it was illegal to plant new vines on your land, until Louis XV gave permission to Rémy Martin. This was the Accord Royal of 1738 of which this cognac gets its name. There are lots of complex citrus fruits, with orange being predominant, and caramel and a touch of spice. Smooth and very easy to sip on a winter’s evening, it also makes a good long cocktail too. Add a little ginger ale, a dash of lime and a sprig of rosemary, and all you’ll need is the sun to top it off.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £52.50 // US $69.99

Hennessy XO 

This is the Cognac that started the XO movement. The name was given to the Cognac by Maurice Hennessy in the 1800s. First bottled for friends and family in 1870, it uses a blend of more than 100 eaux-de-vie from Petite and Grand Champagne regions of Cognac as well as Fins Bois and Borderies. It is a deep brooding cognac with lots of dark chocolate and orange flavours. Perfect with a cigar, but as I found out on my last visit to Hennessy, brilliant in the heat of the day in a fishbowl glass and plenty of ice. Magnificent.

 Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £164.99 // US $199.99

The Best Rum For Valentine’s Day

Ron Abuelo XII Two Oaks 

Matured in two different types of oak cask, this rum from Panama is rich and smoky, but has a sweetness running through the whole palate making it smooth and deeply drinkable. Aged for over a decade in ex-bourbon casks, it was then transferred into heavily charred virgin American oak giving the rum its smoky deep character.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £46.95

Duppy Share 40%

This rum is created from blends of Jamaican and Barbadian rums. The former gives lots of fruity flavours and the caramel, baked banana flavours are typical of Barbados. The rums are up to five years old and the resulting rum is smooth with lots of tropical sweetness working well by itself or in any rum cocktail, especially a daiquiri. The name is taken from the Jamaican spirits called Duppies which stole rum across the Caribbean.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £26

Words by Colin Hampden-White

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s/Galantine’s Day inspiration then why not check out our Beautiful Pink Gins guide or perhaps Sparkling Wine is more up your street?

What is Cognac and What Should I Try?

Words by Colin Hampden-White

From VS, VSOP, XO and vintage, there is a lot of confusion around Cognac. Some Cognac seems to be very reasonably priced, and yet others, without seemingly any rhyme or reason, are excruciatingly expensive. It is about time The Three Drinkers explained and cleared up Cognac.

The various letters are names of age statements for Cognac. Below is how they stack up:

VS: Meaning “Very Special” and can also be called ✯✯✯ or Three stars. This is Cognac which has been aged in barrels for at least two years.

VSOP: Meaning “Very Superior Old Pale” or Reserve. This is Cognac which is a blend of barrels of which the youngest is at least four years old.

Napoleon: This is Cognac which is at least six years old.

XO: Meaning “Extra Old”. This is Cognac of which the youngest in the blend is at least ten years old. This came into force in April 2018, so if you have a bottle of XO from before then the youngest Cognac in the blend had to be six years old.

XXO: Meaning “Extra Extra Old”. This has Cognac in the blend which is at least 14 years old.

Hors d’âge: Means “Beyond Age”. This is a designation given by the Cognac governing body, which is equal to XO, but is used by brands as marketing to sell products that are high quality and beyond the official age statements.

Vintage: Some Cognacs have a vintage date on them. This is the date of distillation. Many Cognacs do not put the bottling date on them, so it is difficult to define the actual age of the Cognac inside.

I drink quite a bit of Cognac and have a few favourites I’d like to share. These are of all price points and ages. I hope you find something that suits your palate and pocket.

VS

Courvoisier VS

This is a great starter for Cognac. It isn’t the most complex, but it still has lots of flavour, can be found in most shops and is a classic. It was the Cognac of choice for Napoleon who took huge amounts of it with him in exile. It goes well on the rocks and mixes well too, especially with ginger ale or tonic.

Size: UK 700ml // US 375ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £29.95 // US $19.99

VSOP

Rémy Martin VSOP

One of the most popular VSOP Cognacs around it is very consistent and well worth the little extra. This is a Cognac that both mixes well giving any cocktail a good dollop of rich Cognac flavours, but can also stand on its own without ice. With berry fruits on the nose and lots of honey and vanilla, dried fruits and a little spice on the palate, there is good complexity putting this at the top of my VSOP list.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £36.95 // US $49.99

XO

There are lots of styles of XO. I am choosing two very different styles here. One which is big and rich and the other refined and finessed. The two show how different Cognac can be.

Hennessy XO

A big, rich brooding Cognac with lots of dark dried fruit flavours, bitter chocolate and coffee. It serves well with a lot of ice in a balloon glass or big wine glass on a hot sunny day, as well as neat by a fire after dinner on a cold winter evening and pairs beautifully with cigars. Hennessy is the best-selling Cognac by volume in the world and this expression shows why. The term XO was created in the 19th century especially for this Cognac.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £162  // US $324.99

Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot XO

Frapin is known for making elegant Cognacs with finesse and Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot is an excellent example of the house style. It is a single state Cognac and one of the best XO Cognacs in the Grand Champagne region. With lots of fruity and floral aromas and flavours it still has richness, but a refined quality throughout.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £175  

Delamain Pleiade Ancestral

Delamain are known for long aged Cognacs with intensity, but also delicacy. This expression has plenty of both with great complexity. There are lots of summer flowers and rich baked fruit flavours with a touch of spice and vanilla custard. Only 180 bottles were produced making it a rare Cognac. When Delamain reduce the spirit before bottling, they do it very gently by adding a mix of water and spirit which has had time to marry and therefore doesn’t shock the delicate Cognac when it is reduced in alcohol for bottling.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £475  

Hermitage 50 Year Old

This is one of the most impressive Cognacs I have ever tasted. It won the trophy medal for Cognac at the IWSC I judged in 2021 beating Cognacs which were even older than this dating back to the 19th Century. There is so much complexity with chocolate, coffee, rich dark dried fruits, and also soft floral notes and delicate spice. It’s definitely a Cognac to savour.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £485  

Hennessy Paradis

This expression of Hennessy was created in 1979 by Maurice Fillioux who was a master blender at Hennessy. He used a selection of eaux-de-vie (new spirit) which had been laid down by his grandfather. Typical of the house style this is a rich Cognac, but also has fresh floral notes and blossom. There is plenty of spice with cinnamon and pepper, a little honey and dried citrus peel. It is very well balanced and has a long finish.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £995 // US $1799.99

Frapin Cuvée Rabelais

My favourite Cognac of them all. Not a Cognac for every day, and not a Cognac I could afford to buy, but having tasted a generous sample I am now playing the lottery again. If you can afford this level of Cognac, then this is for you. There are other Cognacs I have tried at this price point, and they are very very good, but this one somehow just pips them to the post. There is an elegance like no other, and flavours which hark back to the century before last. Dusty books and old mahogany furniture. Soft spice and very gentle fine oak. Sandalwood and a touch of beeswax lie underneath light floral notes from a summer meadow. The Cognac is very complex and increases in complexity as it is left to air and oxygen interacts with it. They say one should drink a drink the way you want it. And should you want to mix this with coke, I certainly wouldn’t stop you I hope you enjoy it. But for me, this is a singular pleasure.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £7500

One last word

Not strictly in the Cognac category, but there is another spirit which has caught my attention lately. Typically an unchanged, and great recipe for many years Grand Marnier has been a blend of Cognacs, bitter orange essence and sugar. They have now created some very special expressions.

Grand Marnier Révélation

This expression is made from some very aged Grande Champagne Cognacs and Bigaradia essence. There are aromas of vanilla and nuts with intense honeysuckle floral notes. On the palate there are dried fruits including apricots and bitter orange peel which continue long into the finish.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £615

Grand Marnier Quintessence

This limited edition from Grand Marnier takes the finest Grand Champagne Cognac infused with orange using Grand Marnier’s double parfum Method. It is hugely complex and includes Cognacs from 1875, 1906, and 1955. There are lots of toasted orange and nuts on the nose followed by peach on the plate along with floral notes.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £1895

If you enjoyed this make sure you check out 4 Things You Need To Know About Cognac or One Drink, Three Ways: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac!