Like many sweeter, fortified wines and liqueurs, cognac has a bit of a stuffy reputation among younger generations, perhaps regarded as a drink for their parents or grandparents.
But D’Ussé, the cognac brand co-founded by Jay-Z (and co-owned with Bacardi), is striving to give a new life to the spirit also known as “eau de vie”—water of life.
For reference, cognac is a variety of brandy and aged in a process perhaps more similar to whiskey, despite its origins as a white wine, made from a set list of six specific grape varieties to be legally classified as a cognac. Cognac must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels. Named for the French commune of the same name, cognac is produced in the surrounding wine-growing regions of Charente and Charente-Maritime in southwest France.
Michel Casavecchia, cellar master of D’Ussé, and Sullivan Doh, mixologist and D’Ussé global brand ambassador, recently shared more with Fortune about the company’s vision on the future of the cognac as well as some tips on how to best enjoy the digestif.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Fortune: Could you each share how you became involved with the brand? What are your roles and responsibilities within the company?
Casavecchia: I’m the cellar master of Château de Cognac, and have been working here for more than 30 years. And I have the honor of being the creator of D’Ussé cognac.
Doh: I’m the global brand ambassador for D’Ussé and have been in the position for the last four years. I’ve been working in hospitality for the last 17 years in France mostly, but also in London and Australia. But I fell in love with cognac when I was working in London at age 19 (because in Europe, you can start drinking legally at age 18). Because of my love for cognac, I made sure to always push the category. When I became a bartender, I always made sure to have a cocktail with cognac on my menu at the bars where I worked.
I opened my first bar in 2014, Le Syndicat in Paris, which was the first bar in the world using only French alcohol brands. So I discovered all these different spirits in France, and so I did this for four years, opening two bars. Then D’Ussé reached out, and I came to the Château and met with Michel and connected with the brand because I was really following what I was doing with my bar, which was taking those traditional alcohols no one used, and bring them to modernity through cocktails. And when you look at what is D’Ussé, it’s taking tradition to modernity. I’ve been approached by many brands, but I didn’t really connect with any of them the way I connected with D’Ussé.
D’Ussé is a relatively young brand, especially compared to some of its neighbors in the industry. What makes it stand apart? What does D’Ussé do differently?
Casavecchia: D’Ussé is a new brand, effectively, created more than 10 years ago, which is nothing in the cognac world. But when I created D’Ussé, I used all of my knowledge of cognac making and more than 200 years of history with the Château de Cognac. So when we created D’Ussé, the main specificity from the others was that it was created for the modern palate.
For me, I wanted to make a cognac that ticked all the boxes of a delicious sipping experience but also have the body and character for a cocktail because that’s how we drink today. So yes, the main difference from the others is that we have been created for modern consumption.
Compared to other spirits, there are a lot of misconceptions about cognac among consumers. (Many casual drinkers might not even realize it derives from wine.) What would you want to share first and foremost about cognac to educate consumers?
Casavecchia: The thing I love most about cognac is that it’s a traditional product that is made in a very unique manner. All the richness, the composition of cognac, it is very artisanal. What is important for me is the purity that comes from the grapes to the bottle, every single step on how to make cognac, and the human involvement behind the winemaking—from the vineyards to the winemaker to the master distiller to the copper to the cellar master and then to the master blender.
Doh: To sum up, I will say two words: savoir-faire. [In English, expertise or know-how, essentially.] Every step of what makes cognac “cognac” is really important. Every single step needs someone who is perfect at what they do. Cognac is one of the most perfect spirits, but we control perfection from A to Z. So the savoir-faire is the craftsmanship behind cognac, which is really the most important thing.
Cognac arguably has a reputation as an after dinner drink or digestif synonymous with older generations. How are you approaching changing that reputation and attracting millennial consumers?
Casavecchia: I definitely agree with you that there’s a misconception of cognac. D’Ussé being the modern expression of cognac, with the mixability in cocktails and the way we drink today. But for me, it’s traditional, too, because the first cocktails were made with cognac. It’s a return to the source—the world of cocktails.
Doh: If you look at the very first cocktail recipes, if you look at Jerry Thomas’s A Bon Vivant’s Companion [first published in 1862], he’s calling a lot for brandy, and back then, the brandy of choice was cognac. So it’s the same way D’Ussé is taking tradition and bringing it to modernity, Michel wanted to go back to the beginning of what was a cocktail, because cognac has always been part of the cocktail culture, we just forgot about it. We forgot about it between the Phylloxera crisis that stopped everyone from making cognac and other wines for years in Europe, and then prohibition happened in the U.S.—in the country where cocktails were most popular. So there’s a 50- to 60-year gap in the cognac consumption that disconnected with cocktail culture.
But D’Ussé takes its roots in the tradition of the Château, understanding the cocktail is the modern way of drinking, but it also used to be the old way of drinking. Everything is a cycle. So making a cognac that was created for cocktail consumption is a way to get back into having younger customers enjoy cognac.
Looking forward, what’s next for D’Ussé?
Casavecchia: D’Ussé is a new brand, and as of now, in terms of products, we don’t have new ones coming yet. But we started with a VSOP and XO, and as a cellar master, my wish is to have fun with different regions and limited-edition, new products.
Doh: In my position, I can say the next step for D’Ussé is opening up to more markets in the world—going to Africa, going to Asia. We set up the brand in the U.S., and now it’s more about getting it out there to the wider world. Also, hopefully, coming up with new products, but be on the lookout.
