DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb. 1, 2012 — Courvoisier, the cognac house of Beam Inc., announced today the addition of C by Courvoisier to its award-winning portfolio. A bold, revolutionary cognac, C by Courvoisier is full of attitude, boasting a daring, intense flavor profile that stands out from the crowd and showcases a new side of cognac.

C by Courvoisier will be available nationwide beginning February, 2012. A 750ml bottle has a suggested retail price of $34.99.

Mutineer Magazine is thrilled to announce that we have been nominated as a finalist in the 3rd Annual Taste Awards in the category of “Best Branded Program” for Mutineer Magazine’s 4-part “Cognac Conversations” series produced in partnership with the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. The series stars Ben Morrison (MTV’s Punk’d), Daryl Wright (Showtime) and Mutineer’s Alan Kropf and was filmed on-location at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal Studios.

Finalists for the Taste Awards are selected from all qualified nominees based on their level of excellence in the categories in which they have been nominated with six finalists being selected for each category. The Judges Panel for 2012 has approximately over 150 industry experts, gurus, peers, and media and they will be responsible for choosing the winner, which will be announced on January 12, 2012.

Best Branded Program Nominees:

1. Magnum Ice Cream Original Short Film Series by Karl Lagerfeld featuring Rachel Bilson
2. Lanvin Fall 2011 Campaign Movie
3. Cooking.com
4. Cuisinart
5. Kraft Cooking School
6. Mutineer Magazine’s Cognac Conversations

Mutineer Magazine’s Cognac Conversations Credits

Executive Producer: Evelyne Resnick
Producers: Alan Kropf, Jeff Dorenbush, Brian Kropf & Ian Andreae
Associate Producers: Julie Hadjinian, Chris D’Amico & Erin Jimcosky
Created by: Alan Kropf and Ben Morrison
Starring: Ben Morrison, Daryl Wright & Alan Kropf
Cinematography: Ian Andreae & Alan Kropf
Editing: Alan Kropf & Ian Andreae
Sound: Alan Kropf
Lighting: Ian Andreae
Intro Theme Music: Hunter Lea
Production Consultant: Ignacio Delgadillo
Title Sequence: Ian Andreae
Location: Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal Citywalk at Universal Studios

Special Thanks to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac for giving Mutineer the opportunity to help tell Cognac’s story and to everyone that helped us bring this project to life.

This week’s installment of The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess brought to you by the Small Screen Network brings you the Metropole Cocktail. According to Robert Hess, “The Metropole Cocktail was the house cocktail at the Metropole Hotel, opened in New York just before the beginning of the 20th century. Some say it is a stronger and spicier version of the Manhattan.”

The Metropole Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz brandy or cognac
• 3/4 oz dry vermouth
• dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters
• 2 dashes Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
• 1/8 oz simple syrup

Instructions

• stir with ice
• strain into a cocktail glass

This week’s installment of The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess brought to you by the Small Screen Network brings you the French 75. According to Robert Hess, “The French 75 cocktail has been through a few iterations since its humble beginnings during World War I. Currently, the most popular version of this sparkling cocktail is made with gin. Originally, however, it was most likely made with cognac.”

French 75

• 1 1/2 oz Rémy Martin Cognac
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp. fine sugar

Instructions

• shake cognac, lemon juice and sugar with ice
• strain into a collins glass over ice
• top with sparkling wine or champagne

Cognac. The quadrilogy is complete. If you missed Cognac Conversations Episode #1, Episode #2, or Episode #3, dip into the archives and check out what you missed. In this episode, Mutineer Editor in Chief Alan Kropf continues to try and educate stand-up comedians Ben Morrison (who also happens to be a regular Mutineer contributor and host of the Mutineer Comedy Festival) and Daryl Wright (also a Mutineer Comedy Festival performer) at the world renowned Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal City.

Speaking of cognac, Rémy Martin celebrated the L.A. launch of its latest spirit, Rémy Martin V, at Drai’s last week – the rooftop restaurant/club crowning the W Hollywood. The event attracted an eclectic crowd that ranged from a few jet-setting members of the Monegasque princely family to Jaleel White, the Urk Man himself.
 
But make no mistake – V is not cognac. So to avoid confusion, Rémy Martin simply calls it what it is: a distilled grape spirit, or, more specifically, an eaux-de-vie distilled from Ugni Blanc grapes harvested in the Champagne region of France – the company’s first clear spirit. Yes, clear. If that’s confusing, think of it this way: Rémy Martin V is like Rémy Martin cognac, but without the barrel aging. (OK, maybe that’s more confusing.)
 
So how does it taste? It tastes a little like grappa (an Italian pomace brandy), and is similarly phenolic. But it’s subtler than grappa, thanks to double distillation and a special ice-cold filtration process. Rémy Martin V is intended to be a mixing spirit – something that will appeal to a young, club-going, fruity-mixed-drinks-imbibing sort of crowd. Some might call it a marketing gimmick – like Crystal Pepsi, but more fun. You be the judge.  

Cognac. You know it as one of the ultimate sippers on the planet, but what about cocktails? The answer is yes, from the classic sidecar to the ultra-modern Cognac Summit Cocktail*, Cognac does have a happy home in the world of mixology.

In this third installment of Cognac Conversation, Mutineer Editor in Chief Alan Kropf pays a surprise visit to stand-up comedian/Mutineer Director of Comedy Ben Morrison at his Hollywood apartment to make one of these so-called Cognac Summit Cocktails and prove that literally anyone is capable of whipping up this delicious cocktail at home.

Official Cognac Summit Cocktail Ingredients:

• 1 lime peel
• 4 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 oz. VSOP Cognac
• 2 oz traditional lemonade
• 1 long piece of cucumber peel
• 4 or 5 ice cubes

*Because we live on the edge, we strayed a bit from the official recipe in our demonstration and used 2 oz. of Cognac and 4 oz. of lemonade, and while homemade lemonade is always preferred, sometimes you just gotta roll with Americana’s finest: Newman’s Own Old Fashioned Roadside Virgin Lemonade.

The Sidecar Recipe:
By Robert Hess from “Classic Cocktails” in Mutineer Magazine Issue #10

• 2 oz. brandy (or cognac)
• 1 oz. Cointreau
• 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Shake with ice.
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

What? No sugared rim? Personally I find that the sugared rim simply makes my fingers sticky, which is far from desirable. You may of course choose to sugar yours if you so desire, but history is on my side on this since the original recipes also were presented sans rim.

Cognac. The sequel. What does VS and VSOP mean? Should you buy Cognac out of an aluminum can? These questions and more will be answered as Mutineer Editor in Chief Alan Kropf attempts to educate stand-up comedians Ben Morrison (who also happens to be a regular Mutineer contributor and host of the Mutineer Comedy Festival) and Daryl Wright (also a Mutineer Comedy Festival performer) at the world renowned Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal City.