Grand Marnier Cocktails as featured in The Three Drinkers in Cognac

Episode Two of The Three Drinkers in Cognac sees Aidy, Helena and Eddy explore the second most famous drink of the region, Grand Marnier, pulling together some of their own cocktail creations in the process.

Aromatic dried orange peel is the heart of Grand Marnier, and more specifically Citrus Bigaradia, a delicately perfumed bitter orange picked before it has become fully ripe to gather those intense and highly concentrated oils. Distilled six times over and blended with sugar syrup and cognac and the gorgeous liqueur is complete!

So, which Grand Marnier cocktails did The Three Drinkers create to impress mixology extraordinaire Tiffanie Barriere?

The Grand Margarita

Showing them how it’s done first though, Tiffanie shook up the Grand Margarita. This is one of the most elegantly rounded cocktails you can make, with each ingredient bringing salty, sweet, bitter, and sour tastes. The Grand Marnier brings so much more depth than the usual syrup and the balance struck here is perfect, with the added texture from the Grand Marnier making every sip that bit more satisfying.

Ingredients
30ml Grand Marnier
30ml Premium Tequila
20ml Fresh Lime juice
Ice
Fresh lime to garnish
Salt for rim
Glass: Tumbler

Method
Cut and rub the lime around the rim of a glass. Add salt to a plate, tip the glass upside and rim with the salt. Next, combine the Grand Marnier, Tequila and lime juice in a shaker with ice and wet shake for 30 seconds. Strain into the tumbler over ice and garnish with a wheel of fresh lime.

Old Fashioned Persian (Eddy)

Introducing the winner of the mini-contest (sorry Aidy and Helena!), it’s Eddy who envisioned the orange flavouring of Grand Marnier with an Old Fashioned but wanted to add a touch of his Iranian heritage so included rose water and chai tea for this Old Fashioned Persian. There are light floral notes, warming spices and the silky sweet citrus of Grand Marnier typing everything together wonderfully.

Ingredients
30ml Grand Marnier
15ml Rosewater
15ml Chai tea infusion
Fresh lime
Orange for garnish
Glass: Tumbler

Method
Cut a slice of orange and rub it around the rim of a tumbler. Next, build the cocktail in the glass, combining the Grand Marnier, rosewater and chai over ice. Add a squeeze of lime and stir well. Garnish with an orange twist. 

Orange You Happy To See Me (Aidy)

Aidy set out to celebrate the region around him, combining not just the two of the most celebrated drinks of the region, but local fresh orange juice, local honey, and even local eggs. It’s the region of Cognac in a glass! 

Ingredients
50ml Cognac
25ml Grand Marnier
20ml Orange Juice
10ml Fresh Honey
1 Egg white
Glass: Martini glass

Method
Combine all ingredients bar the egg white into a shaker without ice and shake for 30 seconds. Next, add the egg white and ice and wet shake for another 30 seconds to activate the egg white. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with orange peel. 

Le Grand St Clement (Helena)

Classic and simple, the gorgeous fresh fruit juice is apparent here straight away with the richer oomph from the Grand Marnier and Cognac following. Ever the oenophile, Helena tops up the glass with Champagne adding a crisp, bubbly and refreshing quality to an already delicious mix.

Ingredients
25ml Grand Marnier
15ml Fresh Lemon
15ml Fresh Orange
15 ml Cognac
Top up with Champagne
Glass: Chilled flute

Method
Combine the Grand Marnier, fruit juices and Cognac in a shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled flute half way then top up with Champagne and garnish with a thin orange slice.

Keep your eyes peeled for plenty more discoveries and cocktails from the series and if your wondering which cognac you should use, check this article out.

What is VS Cognac and What Should I Try?

Helena and Aidy explore all kinds of cultural and gastronomic sites around the picturesque Cognac region in The Three Drinkers in Cognac, but it’s no surprise that the namesake spirit features heavily.

Probably the most common form of cognac available is VS cognac, so let’s break down exactly what this means, how to drink it, how it differs from other letters you might see and crucially, where to head to try some of the good stuff!

What is VS Cognac?

First off, just in case you haven’t consulted our Beginner’s Guide, cognac is a brandy that originates from the region of the same name in South-West France. This part of Charente quickly up a reputation for the best brandy in the 18th century, and since then heritage cognac houses have been perfecting the craft.

Within cognac production, you’re likely to find different letter combinations on the bottle. These letters signify the age statement. In the case of VS cognac, this stands for Very Special and means that the youngest eaux-de-vie in the blend will have been aged for at least two years. You might also see three stars instead which pretty much means the same thing!

Although VS stands for Very Special, this is actually the youngest cognac age statement and other letters signify higher minimum ages.

How Does VS Cognac differ to VSOP and XO Cognac?

In short, where VS Cognac must be at least two years old, VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) must be four and XO (Extra Old) ten! There are older categories too so if you want to know more about what the different letters on cognac bottles mean, head here for a full breakdown with bottles to try from each.

Generally, the more time cognac spends in the barrel the nuttier and richer it becomes. VS, on the other hand, tend to be more vibrant and fresher, so this isn’t a case of one being better than the other.

How is VS Cognac drunk?

Though still thought of as a luxury drink, VS cognac is most commonly used in an array of cognac cocktails. As you’ll see in the show, cognac cocktails are versatile and delicious and VS or VSOP is usually used because it often has less complexity than much older blends. Having said that, because every cognac is a blend of eaux-de-vie of various ages, there are no hard and fast rules!

Because Cognac is made up of different blends like this, it means that depending on the mixer, fruits or herbs used in the cocktail, different notes of the cognac will be drawn out – hence why bartenders love it.

You can find The Best Cocktails to Make with Cognac here, but VS bottles work great in long drinks with soda, ginger beer, lemonade, and mixers like that.

VS is far from ‘cocktail fodder’ though. With years of barrel ageing still under its belt, it has stunning depth and character so just a little ice or drop of water is also a common way to serve VS Cognac. Or just neat because some drinkers find cognac too bland with too much dilution. At the end of the day, exactly how VS cognac is drunk is totally up to you. If you enjoy it that’s all that matters, right?

Which VS Cognac should I try?

Courvoisier VS

Situated in Jarnac, Courvoisier dates back to 1835 and as the star of Busta Rhymes’ ‘Pass the Courvoisier’ song, it was at the forefront of making cognac cool again. Though a VS, Courvoisier VS is a blend of youthful and aged cognacs so has a balanced profile featuring fresh apple and citrus and subtle florality. This is the cognac Napoleon took away with him during his years of exile too, so it must be good!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.95

Remy Martin VS 1980s

This is a piece of history, hence the hiked VS price. Dating back to 1724, Rémy Martin are cognac legends, and this is a charming bottling of their VS release from the 1980s. Unfortunately, unlike wine, once cognac has been bottled it stops maturing but this is still a rarity that few will ever get to try.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £150

Seignette VS Cognac

The swan on the bottle is taken from the coat of arms of the Seignette family, whose roots go right back to the 1600s in and around Cognac. This is a much more contemporary release with notes of candied apricot and ginger, soft vanilla and an unusual spicy complexity for a VS.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.89

Martel VS Single Distillery

Unlike most VS bottles, Martel VS uses eaux-de-vie from only one distillery, so this is a richer, more intense spirit than most. Zesty citrus and sweet juicy plum play off against one another in a stand-out smooth texture.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.99

Hennessey VS

Over 40 different eaux-de-vie are blended for Hennessey VS which spends 2 years in French oak for a superbly full-bodied cognac carrying notes of dried fruits, subtle spice, and mellow vanilla. In fact, the entire age statement grading system was created by Maurice Hennessey so in a way, this is the definitive VS cognac!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.44

For more information about the rich world of cognac, check out the Beginner’s Guide. And if you want some delicious cocktails to make these VS bottles sing, go here!

The Beginner’s Guide to Cognac

The Three Drinkers in Cognac takes you on a full-on and fabulous exploration of the spirit of cognac and the beautiful region itself, but we know that not everybody is au fait with it. So, we’ve pulled together a complete beginner’s guide to cognac to give cognac newbies the best start.

Whether you know nothing at all about the rich world of cognac or if you’d simply like a refresher on its resurgence and what it’s all about, read on…

What is Cognac?

Cognac is a brandy, which means it’s an aged spirit distilled from fruit. To be called cognac however, the spirit has to be made from specific wine grapes, be subject to stringent production laws and, most importantly, it must originate from its namesake region in South-West France. All cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac!

A BRIEF history of Cognac

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch slowly fell in love with French wine but when they tried to transport it home, they found it couldn’t withstand shipment. To combat this oxidation, they began distilling it into eau-de-vie and named it ‘brandewijn’, aka - ‘burnt wine’. With space on the ships at a premium, merchants started distilling it twice over to produce higher-strength spirit.

Around this time, the brandy emanating from the Cognac region in Charente proved to be the cream of the crop and so strict production rules came into play to maintain quality and the region’s reputation. By the 18th century, renowned cognac houses appeared with the first being Martell in 1715 and Rémy Martin a decade later. Today, the region is dominated by the Big Four: Rémy Martin, Courvoisier, Hennessy and Martell, with lots of smaller, boutique houses to also discover.

Cognac became extremely popular, particularly with smugglers who struggled to meet their demands for the stuff! Trademarking and provenance became more desirable, and by the 20th century, six traditional Cognac regions were enshrined in law. By 1980 though, cognac was being seen as an old man’s drink, and going into the 1990s, the region started to run into a bit of economic trouble. Cognac’s fortunes started to change however, when an unlikely combination came together – cognac and rap music!

Before and after the turn of the millennium, cognac started to become fashionable again. Can’t Knock The Hustle by Jay-Z, and more significantly, Busta Rhymes’ Pass The Courvoisier II, promoted the spirit’s qualities to a brand new audience, and it became a stalwart of American music videos and then thanks to that, bars and clubs. This relationship continues today, with Martell making the lead rapper of Migos called Quavo, a brand ambassador in 2018.

It's worth pointing out that in Japan and China, cognac’s popularity sustained throughout this period as a symbol of status and quality and to this day, China match the US in how much they import.

Cognac is now enjoying a new wave of popularity, boosted by the growing trend for home mixology that came out of the Covid lockdown. With this in mind, let’s dive a little deeper into this resurgent spirit and look at the various styles and terminology you can find:

What are the different types of Cognac?

Three different white grapes are used but the resilient Ugni Blanc is by far the dominant pick, making up 98% of production. The spirit must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged for at least two years in oak barrels. Cognac is all about blending different ages of singular spirits, or ‘eaux de vie’, which is what makes it so deliciously complex. Producer nuances aside, there are distinct quality levels of cognac that can be recognised by large letters on a label, which are essentially age statements. Here’s briefly what you need to know, but there’s a dedicated article on this here for you if you want a deep dive!

VS: Very Special and aged for at least two years. Often used in cocktails.

VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale where the youngest eau de vie is at least four years old. Another for cocktails

Beyond this, you will find variations of older cognac, most commonly, XO and XXO:

XO: Extra Old where the youngest eau de vie in the blend must be 10 years old or above.

XXO: Extra Extra Old using eaux de vie that is at least 14 years of age, but usually a lot older!

There is another term that you’re likely to come across if you’re into your cognac and that’s ‘Hors d’âge’:

Hors d’âge: Meaning ‘without age’. this is a term assigned by Cognac’s governing body for liquids that are particulalry old.

How do you drink Cognac?

Cognac might surprise you with how deliciously versatile it is. Quality nuanced blends in the XO area are often sipped neat, over ice or with a splash of soda or ginger ale for a gorgeous highball. However, as with so many spirits, cocktails make for a fantastic entry point, particularly for VS and VSOP bottles.

Which Cocktails Can You make with Cognac?

So many memorable cocktails appear throughout The Three Drinkers in Cognac, and you can find more recipes across our website including some delicious Grand Marnier cocktails that bring Cognac to life in a whole new way. However, for a beginner, we think the three below offer a good place to start:

Cognac Gala Highball

Highballs are simple and easy ways to get into a new spirit because they allow the essence of the liquid to breathe and not be overshadowed whilst taking any edge off that might put off a complete newcomer. You can use whatever your preference would be for a mixer, be that premium tonic water, ginger ale, or our choice in Episode One of The Three Drinkers in Cognac – Sicilian Lemonade.

Ingredients                          
30ml cognac
80ml Sicilian Lemonade (Franklin & Sons)
Plenty of ice

Method
Simply pour everything over ice and enjoy. Easy and delicious.

Sidecar

One of the most famous ways to enjoy cognac is the Sidecar. The combination of tangy lemon, orange liqueur and rich cognac is the perfect tart and sweet balance. You can check out Aidy making this in Episode Three!

Ingredients
30ml cognac
20ml orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
10ml fresh lemon juice

Method
All you have to do is shake shake shake with plenty of ice, strain and pour. To be a bit extra, we learnt a trick on the show, which is to rub lemon over the outside of the glass so that you smell it before you taste it!

French 75

A classic that cemented its place in cocktail history when ordered in Casablanca, The French 75 is fantastically bittersweet and although gin is often used these days, cognac is the traditionalist’s choice and works incredibly well.

Ingredients
30ml cognac
10ml fresh lemon
10ml syrup
champagne to top up

Method
Shake everything apart from the fizz with ice, strain into your flute and top up with that gorgeous Champagne. Lemon twist for garnish! 

With all the incredible cocktails and discoveries made along the way, we’ve got a load more Cognac content across the website!

The Three Drinkers Return for a Third Series on Amazon Prime!

Award-winning drinks duo Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin return to our screens this May for the third series of their award-winning Amazon Prime travel show, The Three Drinkers, joined by special guest ‘Third Drinkers’ Eddy Temple-Morris and Eulanda Shead-Osagiede.

The Three Drinkers in Cognac follows Aidy and Helena as they embark on a cultural and gastronomic journey in and around the picturesque French region of Cognac.

With a lifestyle-focused approach, the duo takes an unpretentious look at the fabulous spirit of Cognac and other local delights, taking in the people, places and local attractions of the region along the way. In classic Three Drinkers style, they bust the misconceptions about cognac through their lighthearted, on-screen approach, helping the audience discover brand new ways of enjoying this world-class spirit from grape to glass. Ditching outdated balloon glasses and mundane tasting notes, this is a series for those who seek to be inspired and learn through humour, quirky facts and takeaway tidbits of drinks knowledge.

The 2-hour series is made up of 4 x 30 minute episodes in which the Drinkers discover the art of cognac with help from famed houses as Courvoisier and Remy Martin, alongside the world famous orange liqueur of the region, Grand Marnier. They also check out local, pioneering gin makers, Audemus Distillery while discovering the fascinating world of mixers, sodas and tonics with Franklin & Sons.

Throughout the series, the team takes a deep dive into highballs and cocktails based on occasion, discover the unique dishes of the region, try their hand at water sports, chocolate crafting, shoemaking, beekeeping, become hotel waiters/waitresses and even collect botanicals from deep within the Charentais wilderness for their own locally inspired gin.

“We like to look at drinks through a lifestyle lens, showcasing these stunning sips in a relaxed, unintimidating setting,” says Helena.

“One of the most important aspects of this series is to highlight that cognac doesn’t belong at the back of your grandparent’s cupboard and we’ll be exploring a number of simple serves and cocktails that the audience can create from the comfort of their homes or be inspired to order the next time they’re at a cocktail bar,” Aidy adds.

The Third Drinkers

This series welcomes Virgin Radio presenter and Persian foodie fanatic Eddy Temple-Morris alongside a returning appearance for travel presenter, journalist and influencer Eulanda Shead-Osagiede. While Aidy and Helena are tasked with inspiring spirit sceptic Eddy into falling in love with the liquid gold of cognac, Eulanda seeks out some of the hidden, lifestyle gems of the region, setting the duo amusing tasks along the way.

A more diverse representation in drinks

Aidy and Helena have been clear on their goals to enable more diversity and equity into the world of drinks. Aidy is a trailblazer for LGBTQIA+ and disability diversity representation as the only TV Presenter in the United Kingdom (and one of a small handful globally) with Tourette Syndrome, battling the stigmas of one of the most misrepresented disabilities in the world. Helena has been well known for her stance on female empowerment within the industry, removing the perception that women only enjoy certain spirits.

“It’s been an ongoing mission to showcase that diversity in drinks is possible and we’re delighted to stand with our partners who have helped us make that a reality in this latest series,” Aidy says.

“The importance of on-screen diverse talent amplifies the narrative that all of our voices matter. The Three Drinkers is a beautiful example of this, looking at the talent within the show and I’m so proud to be a part of that movement., says Eulanda, who is a leading voice within the travel entertainment sphere for BAME talent.

“Three series ago we set out with an aim to create a new travel show with a drinks hook,” Helena says, “Nearly six years on, we’re so happy to see how each project has evolved and we can’t wait to share this latest one with the world.”

This armchair series is packed with fun, memorable moments, helping viewers to create exactly what they see on screen at home while inspiring them to visit the region to see it first hand.

The Three Drinkers in Cognac will launch in mid-May on Amazon Prime in 120 countries and territories, in 9 languages. You can follow The Three Drinkers in the run-up to the show at @TheThreeDrinkers alongside Aidy (@Sypped) and Helena (@HelenaSips).