Glossary or Reference Section

To warm up or not to warm up the cognac

Quite often one can notice that a barman takes a big ball-shaped glass and warms it up over a candle or a spirit lamp. Such practice is absolutely inappropriate: light aromas characteristic of cognac will immediately evaporate, and the tones of heated spirit will expressly appear instead of them. Unfortunately, such procedure is rather widespread: according to the results of a survey ordered by Remy Martin House and carried out in early 1980s among 400 owners and managers of the best German restaurants, at least 21% of restaurants used a method of heating either glasses (with steam, hot water), or the cognac itself.

This drink has the best taste at the temperature slightly higher than 20°С. If it is served at a lower temperature, it won’t make any harm. It warms up fast, when you pour a small portion of it into a snifter, especially if you hold the snifter with your palms. Many people believe that this procedure is too burdensome – and such belief is absolutely unfair. Really, these several minutes are mere moments as compared to decades of cognac aging in oak barrels.