Normandin-Mercier

Christmas Cognac

This Petite Champagne originates from an old family reserve handed down from father to son beginning with the house's creation in 1872 by Edouard Normandin's great, great grandfather, Jules Normandin.

This special and rare cuvee has been selected and bottled especially for Christmas 2015 from oak cask #8007 and is limited to a total of 240 bottles. It has been aged for 17 years and bottled at cask strength 45% ABV. Each bottle is hand numbered.

Introduced by request to only two markets late in 2015, we hope to make it available to more states in 2016. 

SRP: $150.00

Jean Fillioux Reserve Familiale

50 years old

This exceptional cognac is in itself a journey in the infinite world of aromas and flavors; everything is there incessantly tickling your taste buds: dried, candied fruit, rich rancio, leather, cigar box, toasted cocoa bean, vanilla and toffee. The finish is silky, with notes of honeyed and peppery spices.

5 stars "Highest Recommendation”

Spirit Journal

"A Cognac to savour over a long time, sip by sip, eyes closed. Pure pleasure!"

Sommeliers International

With Gift Box:

SRP: $400.00

 Armagnac Dartigalongue 

Vintages

"Vintages are typical in Armagnac and Dartigalongue has an impressive collection with most years and even some from 1829. The best sommeliers in the world choose Dartigalongue and dinners are regularly built around their Armagnacs. Menus from top Parisien establishments, including the Moulin Rouge, adorn the walls of the company’s museum that also boasts an awe inspiring number of documents from the beginning of the company’s creation." - Justin Postlethwaite, French Entree

*Added option, original, hand-painted gift box, signed and custom-dedicated by French artist, Philippe, Lejeune. Contact us for more details on availability and cost. (Example shown in photo)

Calvados Roger Groult 

Reserve Ancestrale

Offered by fifth generation, Jean-Roger Groult, from the cellar of second generation, Pierre Groult, this gem will be the preferred partner of those who love rare woody spirits and cigars. Full of rancio, yet soft in the mouth with an intense lingering aromatic persistence. Outstanding!

Minimum 50 years 

with Wood Box 

SRP: $580.00

ArmoriK Single Malt Connoisseur's Collection, 2005 Bourbon Cask, Barrel #4764

Armorik produces classic whiskies with pinpoint precision. This exclusive single cask was matured in Bourbon Casks.

Tasting Notes from Astor Wines:

This hand selected single cask will put to bed any questions you may have about whether great single malt can be made anywhere besides Scotland. We have been singing the praises of this 100-plus-year-old distillery for a while now and the heritage of this whiskey shines through in this excellent 2005 vintage single barrel aged exclusively in a first fill Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for nine years. The nose is both exuberant and harmonious. Fruit, malt, savory notes, and spice all play a part here to bewildering effect. Elegance reigns on the palate where the brighter aromas turn to satin and mellow out as they linger on the finish. One of the best whiskies on the shelf. What are you waiting for?

Available exclusively at Astor Wines, NY; Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA; and Binny's Beverage Depot, Chicago, IL. 

SRP: $99.00

Armagnac Delord

Vintage 1981:

Jerome and Sylvain Delord have established a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed. Owners of a prime 20 hectare vineyard in the heart of the Bas Armagnac, (widely known as the 1st Cru), they have been distilling, ageing and blending their eaux-de-vie the exact same way their great-grandfather did. Their ageing cellars contain Armagnacs dating back to 1904.

The 1981 vintage is particularly fantastic!

SRP: $110.00

Chairman's Trophy. 97 points. 

"Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation"

Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2013

GOLD medal and WINNER of President Republic Prize

(Best Armagnac of the competition).

Concours des Grandes Eaux de Vie d’Armagnac, 2008

*Added option, original, hand-painted gift box, signed and custom-dedicated by French artist, Philippe, Lejeune. Contact us for more details on availability and cost. 

Distillerie Du Peyrat

Organic Cognac XO

The Distillerie du Peyrat has distilled Cognacs for several decades but the family has been present as distillers in the Charentes region since 1705. Distillerie du Peyrat produces exclusively 100% organic Cognacs. Located in a small village 10km East of Cognac on the banks of a river, du Peyrat produces, distills and ages their eaux de vie with the respect of the environment and the intense expression of the terroir.

A minimum of 15 years old. 375mL decanter

“...this is a beauty, rich in Sherry and birch beer-like notes, dappled with cinnamon and allspice. The dry finish suggests accents of cocoa and leather.” - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"97 points - This is a beauty!" Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2013

SRP: $99.00

Thanksgiving is the ideal holiday meal to introduce "Le Trou Normand," or "the Normand hole." France’s contributions to the detailed rituals of authentic dining are, of course, legendary. Much of that attention to detail has to do with methodical planning for proper digestion of the meal through the order and the volume of which the elements are consumed. “Le Trou Normand” is a perfect example of how ritual and method work to increase one’s enjoyment.

Our busy season is officially in high gear and our bags are perpetually ready for visits around the country. We've already been to Atlanta, Georgia to visit with Quality Wines & Spirits, where we participated in their annual grand tasting event. 

After Atlanta, Christine traveled to Chicago for the ever-popular Chicago Indie Spirits show, as well as an event called "Boire comme les francais!" (Drink like the French!) in conjunction with BC Merchants and La Creperie, who served wonderfully delicious crepes with a flambé of Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac Napoleon!

We also spent some quality time out West this month, with most of our visit being divided among our three distributors in Northern California. During our nine day visit there, we made a 24 hour, round-trip dash to open our 26th state, Arizona. We arrived in Scottsdale just in time to participate in Diamondback Wine & Spirits' annual trade tasting. 

By the time you read this, Christine will have returned from a visit to Maryland and DC to visit with Craft Wine & Spirits. This is a great market that has a growing appreciation for our fine French spirits portfolio and we love working with them.

During the first week of November, Christine will return to the West coast to work with our distributors in both Northern and Southern California. Finally, in mid-November we'll be back in Chicago for the 31st Annual Passport to France! a fantastic annual event sponsored by the French American Chamber of Commerce that does a tremendous job celebrating French culture, especially the food and drink aspects. 

It's not every day that the heads of two very respected Cognac and Armagnac houses decide to take a trip to the U.S. TOGETHER, but then again, this kind of pro-active cooperation is what the Heavenly Spirits' marketing strategy is all about. What better way to promote the best-quality, family-owned, French craft spirits available?

Edouard Normandin-Mercier (of the eponymous Cognacs) and Benoit Hillion (of iconic Dartigalongue Bas Armagnac) represent some of the highest quality distillers in the classic French tradition. They started their tour in NY, moved on to Chicago, and ended with a visit to our home state of Massachusetts. 

We arrived in Bordeaux to attend VinExpo on the second day of this five-day event. In addition to the two of us, we had our 22 year-old son, Austin, who now lives in France accompanying us for the “experience.”

Soon after we began exploring the halls, we all seemed to notice the same unexpected male fashion statement at once, “red pants.” One out of every 40 or so men were wearing red slacks. This is not very common in the US, so it stood out.

On the second day, I began looking closer and photographing examples. There seemed to be a kind of original fashion formula, that most of the variations evolved from, which included a blue and white vertical stripped shirt and a navy blazer. We saw a lot of those but also noticed the variations, which included different color shirts, no blazer, worn out red pants or an even brighter color blazer. After mentioning our observations to an American expatriate friend who has now gone native, he said the trend has been around for a number of years, and he believed it started in Italy.

Every two years, Bordeaux, France hosts VinExpo, the world's largest wine & spirits trade show, featuring miles of exhibition booths and products new and old from all over the world. This professional trade show draws over 50,000 visitors from 43 countries. We always try our very best to attend, our first time being in 1995. This year will mark the 10^th VinExpo we have participated in.

VinExpo presents an excellent opportunity to meet with our French suppliers, talk about new trends in the industry, and get caught up with old friends. This year we are particularly excited to be on the hunt for a few new products that we can add to our ever-expanding portfolio of exceptional French spirits. We are not revealing exactly what those products are at this time, but please stay tuned and you will probably find out in our next newsletter. Below are some pictures from our time so far. 

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Advintage Distributing of Ladson, South Carolina to the growing list of distributor partners representing the Heavenly Spirits' portfolio in the U.S.

Advintage Distributing specializes in hand-picked wines and specialty spirits. We're very excited to bring our portfolio of French spirits to the South Carolina public. However, with all the paperwork still needed to be put in place, please look for us there by the end of the summer.

Heavenly Spirits is pleased to announce that four of our products scored higher than 90 points in this years challenge, three were Finalists  and one even received the Chairman's Trophy, the highest award possible in the product's respective catagory. In addition, Organic Cognac Distillery, DuPeyrat was given the "Great Value Award" for its "Organic Selection" quality and price, (SRP generally under$35.00), and Distillery Warenghem was given the "Tried & True Award" in recognition of submitting spirits products that are consistently high in quality three years in a row.

According to its website, "Ultimate Beverage Challenge’s mission is to create and establish a new and higher standard of evaluation for spirits and wine that provides accurate, meaningful and useful results in recognizing and promoting the quality of beverage alcohol products. It accomplishes this by the integrity of its people and approach, its innovative and exacting methodology, and through the credibility of its results." 

Each year we submit 4-6 products from our famed portfolio for consideration and each year we manage to come away with a handful of awards, which is a testament to the success of our own selection process. The awards are of course a tribute to the dedication, passion and quality that our producers put into all of their artisanally produced spirits. We are proud to represent such fine craftsmanship. Following is a list of awards our products received this year:

Chairman's Trophy, 94 points, Extraordinary! - 

Tried & True Award -

ArmoriK Single Malt French Whisky, Sherry Finish 

Finalist, 96 points, Extraordinary! - 

Dartigalongue 1984 Bas-Armagnac 

Finalist, 93 points, Excellent! - 

Roger Groult 12 Year Old Calvados, Pays d'Auge 

92 points, Excellent! - 

Great Value Award -

Cognac Organic Selection DuPeyrat

 The judges of this year's competition were inspired to offer cocktail serving suggestions for a few of our winners and we posted these on our cocktail recipe page, here.

The Awards:

ArmoriK Single Malt Sherry Finish received 94 points and the Chairman's Trophy in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2015, as well as the Tried and True Award. The Tried and True Award is awarded to "products that were entered into USC 2015 and a minimum of two prior USCs and have scored 85 or higher each time, are recognized for consistency of product quality with this award."

Tasting Notes:

This French whisky drinks a lot like a Scottish single malt. Traces of rubber, peat and toffee comes through on the nose. In the mouth, it’s apples and sherry with a peppery edge. Still, fresh and vibrant.

The Cocktail:

In addition, ArmoriK Single Malt Sherry Finish was rated in a classic cocktail, the whiskey sour. The result: Whiskey Sour: 4 Stars, Very Delicious

The Awards:

Du Peyrat Organic Selection Cognac received 92 points in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Awarded Great value indication.

Tasting Notes:

Aromas are redolent of ripe juicy apricots with hints of tropical fruit. Rich and sweet in the mouth, flavors are pristine and focused with stone fruit, white tea and fresh flowers shining through. Smooth and balanced.

The Cocktail:

The Du Peyrat Organic Selection was featured in a classic cocktail, cognac and ginger ale. The result: Cognac and Ginger Ale: 2½ Stars, Delicious

The Awards:

Roger Groult 12 Years Old Calvados received 93 points and was a finalist in the Calvados category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2015.

Tasting Notes:

Bright on the nose, it is reminiscent of applesauce and white grapes. In the mouth it is spicy and complex with meyer lemon, white flowers and deep clover honey. The play between savory and sweet is intriguing.

The Cocktail:

The Roger Groult 12 Years Old Calvados was featured in the Jack Rose cocktail. The result: Jack Rose: 3½ Stars, Very Delicious

Our Newest Distributor State - Colorado!

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Estate Brands Distribution Company of Denver Colorado to the growing list of distributor partners representing the Heavenly Spirits portfolio. Estate Brands specializes in hand-picked wines and specialty spirits. Colorado becomes the 25th state where you can buy Heavenly Spirits products. 

    Just barely getting out of Providence, RI between two major snow storms, we traveled out to Colorado in mid-February to meet with the owners and some of the sales crew. While we were there, we ate and drank at some amazing places, and spoke with some very knowledgable people in the trade. Bistro Vendome, already a client, is where we dined the first night and we thoroughly enjoyed not only the authentic French cuisine but talking with the pleasant local couple who were dining at the bar next to us. Robin was our bartender  and she made us a perfect aperitif cocktail built around calvados Roger Groult, Reserve. 

    Crepes & Crepes on 16th Street, who we hope will soon be carrying some of our products, was one of the last places we visited in Denver and it was fantastic. On a cold and blustery day, it provided a warm and comfortable haven, with an authentic French atmosphere and menu. The crepes were perfectly made and as tasty and wonderful as any I had ever experienced anywhere, including France.

    We also spent an enjoyable evening at the "Source," a new and trending artisan food co-op type of space, located in a former brick factory with two restaurants, a butcher, a bakery, a cheese shop, a wine and spirits boutique retailer and an excellent little bar called RiNo Yacht Club in the middle of it all. Owned and managed by respected Denver Mixologist, Mclain Hedges, "RiNo" stands for Platte River North and the venue is totally worth a visit if you are in Denver. A few other dining establishments we visited include: Snooze, Appaloosa, Ship Tavern and Churchill Bar, the latter two connected to our hotel. We also had the pleasure of visiting the following spirits retailers, most of them already carried our products: Avon Liquor, Valet, The Bottle Shop, Argonauts, Hazel's, Beaver Liquors, and Apple Jacks. It was a great trip overall, and we are pleased to have the Heavenly Spirits portfolio now available in such a dynamic and exciting place as Colorado. See photos from our trip in the Gallery. Did you know Colorado averages 300 days of sunshine per year?

Almost one thousand whisky-loving fans attended Julio's annual Whisky Festival this past Sunday in Westborough, MA, capping off a whole weekend of seminars, tastings and dinners. Christine and I were pleased to be hosting David Roussier, Owner and Distiller of ArmoriK, Breton Single Malt Whisky, who was in town to participate in the festivities. Highlights of the weekend include: the Friday night Loche & K(e)y dinner with guest of Honor, Jim McEwan from Bruichladdich Distillers, Saturday's tasting seminar, "Saying Oui to French Whisky," delivered by David at Julio's Angel's Share room, and a more intimate "Meet and Greet Tasting" for 200 people on Saturday night at Julio's Metro Station Basement room. Though we have participated in this lively weekend event for the past three years, this year marks our greatest involvement yet, as we had a total of five different expressions of ArmoriK to share with the increasingly knowledgeable and ever enthusiastic consumers who attend. In addition to David's help, we also had the participation of Bill Ricker our Boston Sales Associate, Naomi our Office Associate, and Rory Caviness, Head Bartender at La Voile's in Boston. An unexpected piece of good news during the event came in the form of a positive review from the Whisky Advocate in their Spring edition, where the ArmoriK Sherry Finish was awarded 91 points and called "voluptuous ."

All in all it was a fantastic weekend shared with an enthusiastic group of whisky fans. 

See more pictures from the weekend here.

How excited are we? Well Julio's Liquors' Whisk(e)y Weekend is this weekend, 2/27-3/1. Those of you who have attended before know it's an absolutely fabulous event, and they've expanded it this year to bring you even more great events and gatherings! 

We're especially excited to announce that David Roussier owner of Warenghem Distilleries, makers of our beloved Armorik whiskies, will be giving a seminar on Saturday, February 28th from 1-2 p.m called "Say Oui to French Whiskey!" You can register for the seminar, and tons of other great events here. We promise, this is a weekend you don't want to miss!

Tis the season to meet with many of our distributors and to talk with some of their on and off premise accounts as we anticipate a very busy spirit buying season ahead. In this case we headed South on a 5 city marathon tour, starting first in Atlanta where we arrived just in time to participate in Quality Wine & Spirits annual tasting event which they share with Inland Seafoods. The show kicked off the night before with a dinner hosted at Quality's newly refurbished warehouse show room. Several cocktails were created for the evening, including  a delicious "Artillery Punch" which featured Armagnac Marie Duffau among other ingredients.

The Atlanta tasting event itself was very well attended as usual and kept us extremely busy for most of the five and a half hours it lasted, ending at 7:PM. We met lots of folks and talked about new pairing ideas (caviar to foie gras) and cocktail suggestions with some very passionate and creative people.

From there we headed to the great state of Texas for a 3 city Texas Road Trip organized by our favorite Texas distributor, "Favorite Brands." It was a great opportunity to meet and talk with the energetic and growing sales teams located in Houston, Austin and Dallas. In between shows we took the opportunity to visit some of the major Texas retailer outlets like "Specs" and "Twin Liquors" while showing support for some of the incredible on-premise accounts who carry our products; "Au Petit Paris" in Houston and "The Bonneville" in Austin to name just two. All I can say is that the cuisine in Texas is as good as it can possibly be, at least in these outstanding restaurants.

As soon as the Dallas show ended we were heading to the airport to catch our flight to New Orleans. We arrived exhausted but with enough time to stroll down Bourbon Street, stop for a beer at "Vacherie" and wind up at "Cafe du Monde" for some Beignets and a decaf. The next day we were up early for a meeting with the sales team of George Brown and Vino Wholesale. Christine led us through a near complete tasting of all our locally distributed products followed by a lively question and answer period. During the meeting we were told of a New Orleans restaurant chef who uses our Troussepinete as an ingredient in his handmade pate. Needless to say, we headed over there for lunch and enjoyed an amazingly satisfying meal before getting back on the plane. The restaurant is called ROOT and the Executive Chef is Phillip Lopez. We gave it and the pate 4 stars. This was my first time in New Orleans and I look forward to going back soon for a longer stay. Visits to most of the other states that distribute Heavenly Spirits are already planned for the next couple of months. See our photo gallery for more highlights from this post.

One of our favorite times of the year to visit France and meet with our suppliers is in June. This year was no different. Besides being one of the most pleasant times of year weather wise, it seems to be a time when our producers are more available to see us as work schedules are a bit lighter and little or no distilling is being done. VinExpo, the largest wine and spirits trade show in the world is held every other June in Bordeaux, so that also presents a great opportunity to research new products and meet with associates in the industry. This year VinExpo was scheduled for June 16 -20.

Due to business commitments in the US, I delayed my trip to France by about two weeks and Christine attended Vin Expo with our eldest son Austin, who now lives in France and was able to receive quite an education during the process. I believe it was the first time in twenty years I missed a VinExpo. During the four days in Bordeaux, CC had the chance to meet with many of our suppliers, research some new products for the Heavenly Spirits portfolio and set up meetings for when I arrived in July. Austin served as company photographer in my absence and I have posted some of his images in our photo gallery page linked below.

When I finally arrived on July 1st, Christine had a full schedule planned. Highlights included: a three day trip to the Loire Valley, three days of meetings in the Cognac region and several meetings in La Rochelle. Our biggest and most immediate news is that we have added not one but four excellent examples of Pineau de Charente to our portfolio to share with the American market. Normandine Mercier will be supplying a wonderful Pineaux that comes both in a red and a white version, while Cognac Jean Fillioux will be supplying a vieux red pinieau that is ten years old and a really lovely vieux white pineau that has fifteen years of age. With Americans becoming more and more sophisticated about aperitifs and spirits in general, we expect there will be quite an interest in these wonderfully popular before and after dinner drinks. 

Heavenly Spirit fans will soon notice some packaging improvements for some of our most popular brands that we will be announcing as they arrive. We will also be  launching at least one delicious, brand new, inovative spirit in the near future that we have spent quit a bit of time developing here. In short we have been working very hard to bring you, the American consumer, the best and most "heavenly" spirits France has to offer and we look forward to doing this for many weeks, months and years ahead. Stay tuned.  Click here for more images from our trip to France.

Picture this: Christine and I walking around a major DC Art museum, surrounded by "the beautiful people," looking at paintings with an award winning Heavenly Spirits inspired cocktail in our hands on a Saturday night. I'll tell you, it is work, but I am not complaining. That's exactly how it went down on another fast and furious road trip, this time to the DC area last weekend. We also had the opportunity to run around town with our distributor, Shannon Crisp and meet some of the amazing people who carry our spirits in the DC area. For example, we got to meet Tim Adams over at MacArthur Beverages, Prav Saraff at 1 West Dupont Circle, and Nathan at S&S Liquors. I say "amazing people" because each one seems to have  a distinctive passion and dedication for the job they are doing and because each one has an obvious knowledge and respect for the art of making spirits and they seem to take pride in expanding and sharing that knowledge.

In addition to these fine retailers we also had the pleasure of meeting some great folks at a few on-premise accounts, including Boris at the Lincoln, Jonathan at the Firefly and Duane, who is the head bartender at Bourbon Steak, located at the Four Seasons Hotel. We had fun talking with Duane about a number of drinks industry topics and he introduced us to the best three variations of French fries in DC, (cooked in duck fat) each served with its own sauce.

"Artini" featured mixologists from eight D.C. restaurants, which concocted special cocktails inspired by a work of art from Corcoran's collection. Artini 2013 marked the sixth year for this annual event and it was a huge success, raising a ton of money for a worthy cause; more exhibition opportunities for emerging Washington DC artists.

For CC and me, it was our first "Artini" and I hope  it won't be our last. Craft Wine & Spirits, our DC distributors did a fantastic job in making our products available to the mixologists representing some of the top DC bars competing in this year's event. We were especially pleased to learn that Heavenly Spirits products were chosen ingredients for five out of the eight competing cocktails, including the people's choice winner by Joe Ambrose from P.O.V., whose signature cocktail "First Impressions" was inspired by the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting, "View From Cap Martin of Monte Carlo." Joe used Marie duffau Armagnac Napoleon, and Artez Poir Eau de Vie along with elderflower liquor, pear juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, chervil herb dust, berry foam and dehydrated raspberry meringue to make an outstanding cocktail that was tasty, and beautiful with the right combination of texture and smoothness. See the Artini 2013 Pinterest page here for photos and recipes.

Additional Heavenly products that were represented during the evening include: Absinthe La Muse Verte and Armorik Single Malt Whisky; the Classic and Double Maturation.

See our photo gallery page for more photos of this event.

Leaving Massachusetts directly from our son's dramatic 10:AM Sunday indoor soccer match-up (our team won 2-1), we arrived in the Big Apple just in time to catch the Metropolitan Museum's Henri Matisse exhibition on its last day and it was well worth the effort. The show emphasized Matisse's masterful working methods, highlighting his tendencies to create series of paintings and to rework a composition until he got it right.

At the Annual VOS trade tasting, held the following day we had the opportunity to represent our own assortment of incredable French Masters who work in a completely different medium, that of distilled spirits. There are not many distributors around the country who carry such a large percentage of our portfolio as VOS so it was quite a sight to have them stretched out accross most of the City Winery's long bar. It is always a pleasure to attend these tastings even thought they are closed to consumers, because we get a chance to talk with some pretty knowledgable folks who work in the industry and have a great appreciation for our products. The NY City Winery  located on Varick Street, not far from Washington Square is a very hospitable environment for this event. In addition to a terrific ambience, the staff are  always friendly, upbeat and helpful, which, makes standing on our feet for seven hours less noticable and much easier to bear. Many thanks to the hardworking team at VOS Selections for another outstanding job in putting this show together. Well done!

See our gallery page for more photos from this event.

This year's 3 Day Whisky Weekend Extravaganza at Julios in Westboro, MA was held on February 22, 23, & 24. Despite a day of steady snow and slush, the main tasting event on Sunday attracted nearly 1,000 whiskey fans, distributors and producers. In fact, I have never seen that many men dressed in plaid skirts since back in the days when I lived in San Francisco. Many of the kilt wearers were of course playing bag pipes, creating a wonderfully festive and very Scotish ambience enjoyed by the whisky drinking crowd. Many in attendance were seriously knowledgable whisky afficionados, including members of local whisky clubs especially the Loch & K(e)y Club as well as assorted whisky twitterers, and bloggers;  @WhiskyRI   @WhiskyCast    @ScotchSniper           @WhiskyProfessor   @DrinkInsider  and @JuliosSpirits to name a few.

Christine and I were pouring the Armorik Classic as well as the Double Maturation and as usual we had a split crowd when polled on their favorite. Some really liked the layered sherry notes of the Double, while others prefered the pleasant 1-2-3 taste profile of the Armorik Classic; floral nose, sweet entry, light smokey middle and a lovely round finish. We showed up an hour early and stayed busy right till the end. In addition to our single malt whiskies, we offered tastings of the Delord Blanche Armagnac, aperitif La Troussepinete red & white and the Lise Baccara XO cognac which was a big hit especially near the end. All in all it was a first class event and we will most likely be adding it to our annual tasting event program. If you have never been to Julios you should check it out. http://www.juliosliquors.com/WAGG2013/GOWW2013.html

See more Whisky Weekend photos in our gallery

Heavenly Spirits would like to thank all of our producers, distributors, support staff and of course the growing number of Heavenly Spirits consumers and product ambassadors for helping to make 2012 our best year yet. In addition to increasing overall sales, we added new products to our portfolio, increased the number of states we are distributed in and added new events to our educational outreach calendar. Many of the fine products that we represent received industry awards, positive reviews and press mentions in leading US journals. Our Chicago Tasting Tour was a huge success, bringing the producers of some of the top French spirit brands to Chicago in October. And it looks like we remained the #1 importer of Armagnac to the US for the third straight year, accounting for more than 20% of all Armagnac imported. In fact, we have been so busy it was quite impossible to keep up with this blog toward the end of the year. Instead, I was posting updates to our Face Book Fan page and to our Twitter account.

In 2013 we intend to keep our momentum going with more visits to suppliers and distributors, and even more tasting events and educational seminars across the US. We also plan to improve our communications by increasing the number of press releases we put out, and adding a Heavenly Spirits newsletter which will be emailed directly to subscriber’s “In-Box.” The newsletter will keep subscribers current on happenings within our company and include some fun features like cocktail and cooking recipes, bar or retailer of the month and spirit facts.

In short, 2012 was an exciting year for Heavenly Spirits but we hope to make 2013 even better. See the following links to recent press reviews:

-       Esquire Magazine, David Wondrich on Armagnac

-       Wine Enthusiast Top 50 Spirits 2012

Of all the holidays Christine and I celebrate, the nearest and dearest to our hearts is ironically the only one that is not celebrated in France. Thanksgiving is an American holiday but it has a very universal appeal. It is rooted in the harmonies of nature, both human and environmental. It is a time when people come together in cooperation, preparation and appreciation of what life is all about; the harvest is in, the food pantries are full, the wine has been pressed, wood has been stockpiled and the winter is knocking on our door. It is time to celebrate the full abundance of life with good family and friends over the best and most fantastic food and drink that is available. It is time to make that special recipe with all the right ingredients, or open that crazy good bottle you had been saving for the right occasion. The occasion is now. It is time to eat, drink and be merry for so many reasons worth counting. As Christine and I count our reasons to be thankful we think of our family, friends and business associates and we wish you all a very, very happy and joyous celebration. 

But don’t forget.., the Mayan calendar ends sometime in December and you can’t take it with you, so drink up! Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving!   

-Dan & Christine Cooney, Heavenly Spirits 

We have just returned from an ambitious 9 days of spirits tasting which included two major cityies, eight French producers, three distributors and a hurricane. So we are happy to report that in addition to surviving a grueling work schedule, we managed to connect with quite a few consumers and we also had a pretty good time. 

Our adventures began with a drive to New York to work at the New York Whisky Fest. This was a great opportunity to introduce the Armorik Whisky line, the only French made single malt available in the US to a dedicated group of consumers. It was a real pleasure to talk with individuals who were so well informed about whisky, many of them devout members of whisky clubs. The Wall Street Journal had impeccable timing by publishing "Eau de Malt," a full page article on Frenchwhiskys during the Festival. Started by a phone call we recieved over the summer, writer John Forsyth did an admiral job of sorting through the collection of emerging French producers dabbling in the production of whisky and rightfully singled out Armorik as the most developed and most scotch like of the group. While the emphasis of the piece was on French Whisky, the emerging catagory of "world whiskyies" was mentioned and several producers were discussed.

Even before the Whisky Fest was finished we had received news that our flight to Chicago was canceled due to the approach of hurricane Sandy. If we had any hope to be there for our week long Chicago tasting tour, our only choice was to drive back to MA, rent a vehicle and drive the 1,000 miles to Chicago and do our best to stay ahead of the storm. That is what we did, stopping for a short nap only twice. Once we arrived at our hotel in Chicago, we were back on schedule and a jam packed schedule it was. While consumer tastings punctuated our week, we also had time for a trade tasting, an informative visit to an exciting local distllery, a lesson on Chicago Blues, some stops at trendy drinking establishments, and visits with our distributors to some of our top retail and on premise accounts. For a photographic tour of our adventures click the following link. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bnhcywb5d47f6rc/3GVwHCUaY4  

This continues to be a very busy event season for us, with tastings and seminars planned right up until the holidays. In addition to events in  Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts, we are looking forward to our most ambitious event to date, and that is our first ever Meet the Makers Tour which will encompass five days in Chicago with eight of our producers traveling around with us to different venues each day to offer tastings and talk about their award winning artisanal French spirits. We hope that anyone in the Chicago area who is reading this will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to come out and learn about the fascinating art of distillation from the artists themselves. For more information, see our events page.

Having taken the semester off from my teaching responsibilities at the local university, I’ve been able to devote more time in general to Heavenly Spirits and in this case join CC on a trip that included stops in Florida and Georgia. On the first leg of our trip we got to spend time in Florida with old San Francisco friends Bob & Debra Ackerman. We don’t know any couple more dedicated to experiencing the worlds of fine food, wine, spirits and travel than Bob and Debra. In addition to catching up with each other's recent experiences we spoke about the Florida market and options for Heavenly Spirits expansion.

Leg two of our trip South brought us to Atlanta Georgia, where we participated in Quality Wine & Spirits annual tasting extravaganza. Christine had bragged over the past three years about what a first class event this was and how it had continued to grow. I was very glad to be there and to see and experience Atlanta for the first time. Held downtown at the Merchandise Mart Convention Center, and combined with the Inland Sea Food Show Case, the event was a huge success that made the six hours of talking on our feet go by very quickly. We poured samples of our spirits to a very knowledgeable and appreciative crowd that we hope will continue to grow each year. Hats off to Joe Best and his family owned company for putting together such a fine event. (See Gallery for more photos) 

In the third week of our so called “vacation” we took two separate trips toward the city of Cognac to visit with producers and product packaging suppliers. On a Tuesday we visited with our very good friend Alain, a certified master blender of distilled spirits. As usual he insisted we eat at his and now our “favorite restaurant in Cognac,” Le Patio, where the food is always amazing, the service friendly and professional, and the prices more than reasonable. We enjoyed incredible salads and got caught up on variety of project ideas.

 After lunch we headed off to meet with the Filloux family at Cognac Jean Filloux, located in the famed Grand Champagne area of Cognac. Though we have been here before, we took this opportunity on a perfectly sunny summer day to tour the entire operation and grounds, learning some of the fascinating history along the way, while tasting new blends and delicious little “financiers” cakes.

Finally, two days later we traveled to the medieval village of Pon and met with the impressive business team of Lise Baccara, producers of the wonderful aperitif, La Troussepinete. We learned much about the history and development of the company and many of their fine products as told by the founder, inventor, and master liquorist, Gerard Paignon, who was aided by not one but two English speaking members of their team. All in all it was a most productive meeting and we look forward to continuing the dialog as we move ahead promoting this amazingly delicious aperitif. Sandra Falaise, director of international sales will be traveling to the US in October to join us with Chef Patrick Guat and several of our other producers in Chicago where we will be conducting a series of informative Heavenly Spirits Portfolio Seminars and Tastings. We look forward to seeing a good amount of Chicago area spirit fans to come out for these unique events.

See Gallery here for more photos.

Our most involved meeting, that took place during our second week might have been the overnight journey we took to Lannion, to tour the Warenghem Distillerie. Located in the Brittany region of France it was a rainy five hour drive from La Rochelle in each direction.  It was the first time either Christine or I had been to Warenghem to see how they produce the best single malt whisky made in France. Hosted by Directeur Gilles Leizour  and his son-in-law  David Roussier,  it was a fascinating and informative experience that encompassed the history of the distillery and their particular art for making high quality single malt whisky, as well as other assorted spirits and beer. As I am writing this and remembering all we learned it is becoming clear that I could write a post for each and every product Warenghem produces, but I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to provide you a link to the Warenghem web site and share some of our photos with captions of our day spent with Gilles and David.

     Specializing in Celtic spirits, Warenghem Distillerie is a very impressive, well established, multi faceted operation that produces several versions of their very tasty, well balanced, high quality, single malt whisky. Made with malted barley grown in the East of France and crystal clear granitic water from their own protected aquifer source located directly beneath the distillery. The mash is double distilled using a traditional copper cognac still and the spirit is then matured in wooden casks for many years. The way the barrels are used combined with the type of wood and the local climate are keysto obtaining the rich nuanced taste of ArmoriK Whisky. We are very pleased to be representing this world class whisky and encourage all single malt fans to give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

     The city of Lannion is a charming Breton town, especially on market day when the central area near the salty river is filled with tables and stands of locally produced wares of all kinds, including: cheeses, wines, baked goods, assorted crafts and much more. Locals and tourists flock to the market, streaming in from all directions.  In the summer months the Warenghem Distillerie runs free tours and tastings every hour, open to the public and it is a very popular destination indeed, especially on overcast summer days. See the Gallery (part 2) for more photos and information. Click here for the Warenghem web site.

With our visit to La Rochelle, France now complete, I’m going to try and get caught up on sharing some of the food, wine and spirit related experiences we had during our stay. 

     Our first day of meetings began only a few days after arriving in La Rochelle. We headed to the city of Angouleme and were hosted for the day by Angouleme based Chef and Culinary Professor Patrick Guat, a man with a gift for bringing people and high quality food products together. In a series of visits and meetings, Patrick had arranged for us to see a number of exciting regional products and meet the entrepreneurs behind those products. We started by meeting Raynal Geoffroy, the force behind OBO premium soda, a wonderfully refreshing concoction that tasted to me like a cross between Dr. Pepper and some kind of ginseng energy drink. Made for the most part with healthy ingredients like ginseng and grapefruit and with much less sugar then most American soft drinks.  It seems to have struck a chord with pre-teens and thirty-somethings here in France. They might be looking for someone to introduce it to the US market.  I have to say, the product has a lot going for it, including a well thought out and professionally designed graphic identity. Of course we specialize in French spirits, not carbonated beverages, but we are aware that one does have to at least consider opportunities wherever they present themselves.  

     After lunch we headed off to see Jacquiot, a producer of Creme de Cassis and other liquors. We were greeted by Mr. Chaignaud, his wife and his lovely English speaking daughter, Clemence, who shared with us the history of the family vineyard and distillery. We tasted several of the products and toured the production facility, where they had just finished making and bottling this year’s limited yield of crème de cassis. We now have an option to import some of it fpr the US market.

     While exiting the bottling room, I noticed a curious item (made famous to me by conceptual artist, Marcel Duchamp). It was the first time I had ever seen a traditional French bottle drying rack, actually being used to dry bottles. We already represent a crème de cassis made in the Dijon area of France that many of you know is quite good, so we were very surprised at how tasty this one was, made in the Charente. The main difference we found between the two was that the Jacquiot version had a burst of natural fruit tartness different from our Jules Theuriet brand. Both are just wonderful products and serve as the main ingredient for the Kir or Kir Royal cocktail so popular here in France. In fact these crème de cassis can be used in a variety of ways to improve or enhance almost any dessert. Later that evening we were invited to Patrick’s home where we were treated to an amazing five course meal prepared by Patrick where he used the crème de cassis in a delicious savory sauce served over quail. I tell you, it was a day and a meal to remember.

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Heavenly Spirits is pleased to announce that five of our products have been selected for the List of 140 BEST Five Star Spirits in the World. Three of those products are rated at the top of their respective catagories, including top rated Cognac, top rated Armagnac, and top rated Blanche Armagnac. To read a description of each of these products written by the judges and to see product's overall position on the list, take a look at the gallery. Congratulations to the producers of these fine products. 

There are lots of reason we like to travel to the golden State; 1, it was our home for ten years, and 2, it’s the biggest market in the US for our Heavenly spirits products. On this occasion we had the opportunity to participate in the first ever LA Cocktail Classic, sponsored by Eat, Drink, Play,  so that was more than enough reason for us to go. In order to get the most out of our trip we decided to stop in the San Francisco Bay area on the way. We were not the only ones. We soon discovered from the police lined streets as we entered the city, that someone was following us. We pulled over to see what was going on and two minutes later President Obama and his convoy drove past. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that the special welcome wasn’t just for us. None the less, we felt plenty welcomed when we visited our distributors and some of the fine retailers who carry our products. We showed a number of products wherever we went, including La Troussepinete, the wonderful French aperitif new to America from the Vendee region. We were pleased to find out that everyone who tried it loved it as much as we do. (We learned it even goes well with Spam.) For our last night in the North, we poured a variety of Heavenly Spirits for a very appreciative crowd of consumers at K&L in Redwood City. Our thanks go out to David & Kyle for organizing that event.

                After a quick presentation of La Trousse to the the Epic team, we left at mid-day on Friday, destination LAX. For the first time ever, we had a well meaning but over-zealous United check- in staff member question how we packed our bottles in relation to their new system.  This guy ended up gifting himself a sample bottle of a wonderful new coffee flavored liqueur, produced in Northern California, called “FIRELIT.” As disappointing as this loss was, we were lucky enough to come into a replacement bottle later that evening at the LA Cocktail Classic, via Eric at the Bock table next to ours . Held at the Vibiana, a former cathedral located in Down Town Los Angeles, the Cocktail Classic tasting was indeed a class event. We had a perfect location for our table outside on the well lit patio, plus we had the pleasure of Lanee Lee Neil ‏@wanderlushdiary, a talented LA lifestyle writer/blogger  helping us pour. The temperature was perfect, the music was good and all the attendees looked like movie stars. It’s an event we thoroughly enjoyed and would like to do again next year. See our gallery for more photos and see this link for more info: (http://www.thrillist.com/bars/los-angeles/ca/90012/downtown-/la-cocktail-classic_bars_cheap-drinks_great-cocktails_events).

Heavenly Spirits is pleased to announce that two of our products received the Chairman's Trophy, the highest award possible in their respective catagories at this year's Ultimate Challenge. For anyone not familiar with the challange I offer this quote from their web site:

"Ultimate Beverage Challenge’s mission is to create and establish a new and higher standard of evaluation for spirits and wine that provides accurate, meaningful and useful results in recognizing and promoting the quality of beverage alcohol products. It accomplishes this by the integrity of its people and approach, its innovative and exacting methodology, and through the credibility of its results." 

The awards are of course a tribute to the dedication, passion and quality that our producers put into all of their artisanally produced distilled products. We are proud to represent such fine craftsmanship. Following is a list of awards our products received:

• Delord Bas Armagnac 1978: Chairman's Trophy / 97 points / Ultimate Recommendation
• Lise Baccara Troussepinete Red: Chairman's Trophy / 96 points / Ultimate Recommendation
• Lise Baccara Troussepinete White: Finalist / 95 points / Ultimate Recommendation
• Dartigalongue Bas Armagnac XO: Finalist / 94 points / Exceptional Highly Recommended
• Normandin Mercier Cognac Fine Champagne Prestige: 93 points / Exceptional Highly Recommended
• Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac Napoleon: 92 points / Finalist / Exceptional Highly Recommended
• Jean Fillioux Cognac Grande Champagne La Pouyade: 89 / Very Good
  

For a link to the Ultimate Beverage site and a list of all the winners click here:

 http://www.ultimate-beverage.com/the-results/spirits/

Heavenly Spirits of Lakeville, MA is pleased to announce that the top two winners of this year’s Ultimate Spirit award for an aperitif is La Troussepinette Red, and La Troussepinette White by Lise Baccara. The Red version of La Troussepinette earned the highest score and the Chairman’s Trophy with 96 points, followed closely by La Troussepinette White, which earned an impressive 95 points to place second.

An ancient traditional aperitif, La Troussépinète has its origins in the Vendée, a coastal region north of Cognac. It is believed that it was made clandestinely by the unofficial distillers of the Vendée who were not granted the right to distill by the French authorities.

Since ancient times, we know that wines of mediocre quality were flavored before being consumed most of the time. The upper classes were able to flavor their wines with expensive imported spices and plants such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves or rose petals. The people with less means had to use their imagination and find other local ingredients.

In the Vendée, a lot of farmers had small vineyards but the wines produced were only ordinary in quality. However, there was a lot of blackthorn bushes and the winegrowers and distillers started to use it to make troussépinètte wines. The French word for “blackthorn bush” is “épinète,” which we find in the name troussépinètte.

The Lise Baccara Troussépinètte was created by Gerard Pagnon, a small wine grower and liquoriste from the Cognac area. There are a few different ways to make troussépinètte but Gerard uses the original ancient recipe. Young blackthorn shoots are harvested in the spring, then sliced up and allowed to macerate in low alcohol cognac for 1 to 2 months to release the sap.

Wine (red or white) is added, as well as some sugar and the blend is adjusted to a final content of 17%, then filtered and bottled.

Note: the scientific name for the blackthorn bush is prunus spinosa which produces the popular sloe berries; but berries are not used to produce

troussépinète, only the spring shoots full of sap and almond like flavors. 

We are doing our best to introduce this wonderful product to all of our distributors as fast as we can. If you don't yet have it available in your State, you can order it on-line from one of our recommended on-line retailers.

 The second part of our Left Coast tour took us in and around Los Angeles, CA. Our primary reason for the visit was to work with Jean-Francois Rault, owner and producer of Cognac DuPeyrat. He was participating in the annual Expo West, organic trade show, held each year in Anaheim, and we were there to help. The show was very well attended and for the first time ever, they grouped all the organic wine, beer and spirits producers in the same ball room. Everyone agreed it was a good idea. The convention is one of the biggest in the industry and there was a lot to see, smell, taste and talk about.

Mr. Rault’s son Antoine was also present and together the four of us visited some of Heavenly Spirits’ top accounts in Southern California, including: High Time, Beverage Warehouse and the Hollywood location of K&L Merchants. We have been invited back to Hollywood later this year to participate in a “Speak-Easy” themed tasting and we hope to be able to do it. Just for kicks, we also stopped in to check out “Whiskey a Go-Go,” a landmark club in the American music landscape and a special request by Antoine. Altogether, the weather was fantastic for most of our four day visit, allowing us to move around quickly and comfortably. It was a great opportunity to meet so many fans of organic products and quality French spirits. California remains our largest market and so we will most likely need to visit ever more frequently in the future.

Productive West Coast Trip Keeps Heavenly Spirits Moving Forward, Part 1

Because we are the proud parents of two boys, and because I am an adjunct professor at a local university, Christine and I seldom get to travel together. Fortunately, this past week it worked out and I got to spend my “Spring Break” working in California. While I am not nearly as known or experienced in the field as my charming partner/wife Christine, I believe it is good for folks to know who I am, and for me to know them.

This was a whirlwind six day trip for me and a nine day trip for CC, packed with lots of meetings and moving about to and fro. Objectives of this visit included introducing a few new products and/or packaging designs, participating in the Expo-West trade show in Anaheim with one of our producers, and having the opportunity for me (the lesser known partner) to meet many of our distribution associates as well as our retail and on-premise clients in CA. Because we have such interesting and dedicated people in our network of associates and friends, the experience was a true pleasure. If Heavenly Spirits continues to grow at the pace it has over the past two years, we will be taking even more trips, together or individually just to keep up with the growth.

Our week began with a Heavenly Spirit tasting put together by Brian, of Epic Wines, held at La Mar Restaurant at the Embarcadero. The Peruvian cuisine was amazing; stunningly beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. Conversation was lively and quick as those in attendance took time in the middle of a busy work day.

For the next two days we visited a variety of Bay area Heavenly Spirits’ clients, sometimes in conjunction with one of our distributor’s sales representatives. One of these clients, D&M Wine & Liquor Co. is particularly well known for their knowledge of Armagnac and other French Brandies. They even have individual, connoisseur buying clubs for Armagnac, Cognac and Calvados that you can join and learn about on their web site: http://www.dandm.com/aboutus.php. What really impressed me at their Fillmore Street location, and I have never seen anything like it before in a store this size, is their “Wall of Armagnac,” pictured here. While we had the opportunity we sampled owner Karen Politz and two of her staff on several of our newer products which they seemed to enjoy. Please check them out the next time you are in San Francisco.

See Road Trip Photo Gallery

The United States and the European Union announced today that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products (like Du Peyrat Cognac), certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as "organic" in either region. As the two largest organic-producing regions in the world, this partnership should prove beneficial in promoting the growing organic industry on a global scale. Before this agreement was reached, organic producers had to wade through redundant bureaucratic processes and fees in order to be recognized as organic in both regions.

Cognac producer, Distillerie Du Peyrat, and American importer, Heavenly Spirits are thrilled by the recent announcement concerning organic certification. As owner and developer of the first 100% certified organic cognac in the world, Jean-Francois Rault, a leader and pioneer in the organic spirits industry will now be free to promote the virtues of his rare organic cognacs to the United States market as well as the EU. The family of Jean-Francois Rault has been in the business of distilling grapes for cognac since 1705, (selling much of their eau-de-vie to the larger cognac houses during that time). Jean-Francois represents the first generation to have focused so exclusively on producing certified organic cognac that uses no artificial fertilizers or pesticides. In fact, the Du Peyrat distillery is responsible for more than 80% of all certified organic cognac ever produced in France.

Du Peyrat’s RARE Prestige Cognac has received a rating of “Excellent” from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2010 and Paul Pacult of the Spirit Journal awarded it four stars and “Highly Recommended” in 2009. “Being able to officially cite Du Peyrat Cognac’s genuine organic pedigree in addition to its awards for quality and taste should certainly create a greater demand from our consumers in the US,” says Christine Cooney, Partner and Brand Manager, for the US importer, Heavenly Spirits, LLC. The timing of this organic labeling announcement goes well with Du Peyrat’s recent redesign of its cognac packaging. Opting for a more modern, down-to-earth look, the new “RARE Prestige” packaging has gotten rave reviews from consumers and retailers alike.

Come meet Jean-Francois Rault and sample the Du Peyrat RARE Prestige Organic Cognac at EXPO WEST, in Anaheim, CA - booth #10 on March 9 & 10.

http://www.expowest.com/ew12/Public/Content.aspx?ID=1037232

Download the PRWeb press release on this topic: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9231425.htm

This Blog post is dedicated to all who have helped Heavenly Spirits grow in 2011. We salute our producers, transporters, distributors, agents, retailers and especially our consumers, for helping us put together our best year yet. Available now in more than seventeen US States, Heavenly Spirits strives to represent the absolute highest quality artisanal spirits made in France. The market has responded exceptionally well to our efforts supporting our placement of  at least seven new products in 2011, including: aperitif Troussepinete, cognacs from Jean Fillioux and Normandin Mercier, vintage armagnacs from Dartigalogne and Delord, as well as new packaging for three of our other products; Armorik French whisky, Du Peyrat Organic Cognac, and the Delord Armagnac line.

Christine and I feel especially lucky to be building this business with such an increasingly knowledgeable and appreciative demographic forming in the marketplace. It is a demographic that has grown out of the American wine movement which exploded thirty years ago as well as the more recent demand for quality craft beers. Of course distilled spirits have their own historic roots to build on in America and abroad. A lot of folks, especially baby boomers are becoming interested in learning more about spirits and gaining a better understanding of how and when to enjoy them. We are happy to oblige by offering seminars and tastings at every available opportunity. One of our most popular seminars in 2011 is called “Cognac vs. Armagnac.” We talk about the differences and similarities of these two great French brandies and offer fantastic tasting examples straight from our award winning portfolio in support of our words.

Our plans for Heavenly Spirits in 2012 will be to continue servicing the growing interest in fine distilled spirits by maintaining our prized portfolio, providing great service and introducing a few new amazing products whenever we get the chance. We love to hear from anyone interested in what we do, so don’t hesitate to drop us a note or email us a question. Wishing you all the best in 2012, Daniel & Christine Cooney

Armorik Classic Single Malt French Whisky has the distinction of being not only the oldest Whiskey made in France, (25 years) but the only French single malt whisky sold in the US.

It’s been a great year for Armorik, as it earned an Exceptional Gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute’s International Review of Spirits, who noted it was a “lively, easy drinking malt whisky akin to a fine Lowland Scotch.” Paul Pacult also awarded Armorik four stars in the September issue of the Spirit Journal, while the Malt Advocate also featured Armorik in its New Products section, Summer issue, and author, David Wondrich, a respected spirit specialist said when speaking about Armorik, that he “loves it!”

In addition to all the attention Armorik is earning from its exceptional quality, the Warenghem Distillery, producers of Armorik have created an exciting new package design reflecting the long history of the distillery itself. The new design is pictured here and is now available in the US.

If you are a fan of single malt whisky and appreciate the art of French distilling you are going to like Armorik Breton Single Malt Classic, the only whisky in our exclusive French portfolio. Armorik Breton Single Malt Classic Whisky is an exercise in carefully balancing the classic whisky sipping elements, resulting in an ideal taste experience. Currently available in NY, NJ, MA, GA, TN, IL, RI, MO, & PA

ABV: 46%, 6/750ml, SRP: $49.00,

If that is not enough, Warenghem plans on releasing two other whiskies early in 2012; first a double barrel Breton single malt (Armorik Forest Oak / Sherry Cask) and then a limited release, vintage 10 year old, Breton single malt. We will keep you posted.

http://www.distillerie-warenghem.com/uk/whisky-breton/

Happy Holiday!

The second Ultimate Blast was held this past weekend at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel - Grand Ballroom and we think it was even better then the first. Here we had the opportunity to taste some of the finest wines, cocktails and spirits in the world, with great music, excellent cocktail foods, and some really nice people all under one roof. The only real problem was not having enough time to experience it all.

From our point of view it seemed like the after party for the Academy Awards of Spirits (click here to read a list of our product awards) . Not only did we get to rub shoulders with industry stars and leaders but we had the opportunity to talk with the press, have our products' picture taken and offer Heavenly tastings to a wide range of people and fans who really care.

  One of the highlights for me was when Paul Pacult introduced us to David Wondrich, who was there to sell and sign his newest book, "Punch." While looking at our line up of French products David noticed we had the French made Armorik Whisky and commented "I love that whisky." Being that I also love that whisky and value David's opinion, I immediatly asked him if I could quote him and he said "yes." So there it is for any of you whisky fans who who have yet to taste our wonderful French Whisky, made in Brittany, David Wondrich loves it. Come to think of it, we had people telling us all night how good it was, including Paul Pacult who has included it in his reknowned spirit seminars and that good looking woman who showed up late with Gregg Glaser, publisher of Modern Distillery Age. ArmoriK whisky will be showing off its new look in November. I hope the reaction to the new package will be as positive as the reaction has been to the new blend of this wonderful, easy to drink Whisky. See more photos here in our gallery or on our Face Book page. Cheers!

We are just back from a very spirited tasting party in Chicago. The Bottom Lounge played host to this first ever Independent Spirits Expo held in Chicago. The event showcased over seventy vendors including many of the smaller independent craft distillers popping up all over the US and around the world. Over five hundred people from both the drinks industry as well as consumers were in attendance.

      Heavenly Spirits was there showcasing some of our award winning products, including: Qino One Vodka, Delord Blanche Armagnac, Artez Pear Eau de Vie, Armorik, Single Malt French whisky, Roger Groult Calvados Pays d' Auge, Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac Napoleon & Hors d' Age, Dartigalongue Bas Armagnac XO & Hors d' Age, Delord Bas Armagnac 25 year old, Jean Fillioux Cognac Grande Champagne Cep, Jules Theuriet Cremes de Cassis and La Muse Verte Absinthe. During the tastings we had a chance to talk with a lot of interesting folks who came to our table with a wide range of spirit tasting experiences. I think it is safe to say we offered one of the broadest tasting selections at the event and were pleased to receive many compliments of high praise for the quality of our products and portfolio.

      Following this event Christine and I took the opportunity to spend the next two days visiting some of the outstanding on and off premise accounts in the Chicago area, where we conducted custom tastings for owners and staff. Chicago is a fantastically cultured city that continues to be one of our best markets due to their appreciation for exceptioal quality French spirits. 

Good News for you fans of exceptional French Spirits who happen to live in New Jersey; most of the Heavenly Spirits portfolio will now be sold in your state. That's right, and it's all thanks to our New York distributer VOS, who just recently expanded their distribution of spirits all the way to the Jersey Shores. http://vosselections.com/Spirits.html It sounds like a pretty good situation if you ask me. If you live in New Jersey and would like your local retail spirits provider to carry our products give us a shout and we will see if we can hook you up through VOS.

This week, Heavenly Spirits traveled to Georgia to participate in Quality Wine & Spirits' annual tasting event. Always a first class affair, and regarded by vendors and clients as the best distributor show in Atlanta, this year was no different. Retailers even came from neighboring Nashville, TN to taste the vast selection of wines and spirits. Held at the renowned Gift Mart Convention Center of Atlanta, Quality also supplied a tasting of fancy foods including crab meat, oyster, lobster, scallop, and cheese creations, for those who were in attendance.

Heavenly Spirits was showing Whisky Armorik, Armagnac Marie Duffau, & Dartigalongue, Calvados Chauffe Coeur, Delord Floc, La Muse Verte Pastis and Absinthe.

Joe Best is the owner of Quality Wine & Spirits.

The VP / Purchasing Director is Bill York.

Lindy Colburn is the Manager of Spirits & Mixology.

For more info go to http://www.qwine.com/takingthebestapproach.htm

Stay tuned for upcoming tasting events for Heavenly Spirits in Chicago, New York and elsewhere.

There is no better way to mark an anniversary, a birthday or a some other special annual event than with a bottle of vintage Armagnac made in the year that is being celebrated.

Dartigalongue, the oldest house in Armagnac has been producing vintage Armagnacs for over 170 years. The Dartigalongue Celebration Collection was created for just these types of events. Since we are in 2011, vintages from years ending in "1" including 1991, 1981, 1971, 1961, and 1951 are now available through Binnys either on-line http://www.binnys.com/spirits/search/?advs=2&astxt=dartigalongue or directly through their retail locations. Additional US retailers will be carrying the collection in the Fall. Check to see which other vintages are available.

Christine and I were thrilled to once again visit the Dartigalongue cellars this past June and taste many of these fine vintages including the highly acclaimed and very rare 1959. Benoit Hillon, the newest edition to this esteemed family house was the perfect host during our visit. He and Madam Dartigalongue also took us on a tour of their fascinating Armagnac museum sharing industry stories and information that dates back to the early 1800s.  

For a rare gift that truly marks that special annual occasion you can’t do better. To learn about this and other Dartigalongue products available in the US please click here: dartigalongue.com/ or contact Heavenly Spirits at ccheavenlyspirits@gmail.com/.

It’s been a great couple of months for our favorite French whisky. Armorik Classic was awarded an Exceptional Gold medal from the BTI’s International Review of Spirits, noting it was a “lively, easy drinking malt whisky akin to a fine Lowland Scotch.”

The Malt Advocate also featured Armorik in its New Products section, summer 2011 issue. Additionally, the Warenghem Distillery, producers of Armoik have announced a new package design reflecting the long history of the distillery. The new design is pictured here and will be available in the US by October. I will be writing more about this new design in a later post. Until then…

If you appreciate the art of French distilling and happen to be a fan of single malt whisky you are going to like Armorik Breton Single Malt Classic. The only whiskey in our exclusive French spirit portfolio is one of only a few serious French whiskies in existence. Armorik Breton Single Malt Classic Whisky is an exercise in careful balance resulting in an ideal taste experience.

One of our favorite on-premise accounts is La Voile Restaurant. http://www.lavoileboston.net Located on Newbury Street in Boston, La Voile offers classic French cuisine in a comfortable and convenient location. Our products find a perfect home at La Voile include: Armagnacs; Delord, Chauffe Coure, & Marie Duffau, Cognacs; Seguinto, & DuPeyrat, Calvados; Chauffe Coeur & Groult, Pastis La Muse Verte, and Qino One Vodka, the super premium French vodka brand Christine and I created and introduced in 2007.

     While the Heavenly Spirits portfolio has distribution in over twenty states, we are our own distributors in the state of Massachusetts. Due to the amount of time that is required to adequately keep up with each account we concentrate on servicing only about thirty off-premise retailers and less than a dozen on-premise restaurants or bars in the state. Restaurants and bars can be particularly demanding costumers that often need last minute inventory at difficult travel times. We appreciate La Voile for always being considerate when placing orders, allowing us a fair amount of flexibility to deliver on time.

     The next time you are in Boston looking for genuine French cuisine visit La Voile and tell them Heavenly Spirits sent you.

 Held every other year in Bordeaux, France, VinExpo is the largest trade show of wine and spirits in the world. The 2009 edition was the first CC and I had missed since 1995, so it was great to be back this year. We had a full schedule of meetings with mostly great news to report to our producers. We arrived Monday evening to attend a BNIA sponsored event featuring Armagnac in many forms accompanied by some fantastic regional foods. One great discovery I made (though it might seem obvious to some) was how fantastic a good Armagnac (or Cognac) can taste when served on the rocks in a whisky glass in place of a scotch before dinner. I strongly recommend all you scotch drinkers to try it some time. Regional cuisine samplings included; probably the best smoked salmon I ever had, marmite de brandade, fresh oysters and some fantastic desserts.  In addition to the fine food, a cigar maker from Gascony was showing off his craft and handing out free samples. In attendance at this soiree were most of the Armagnac industry's biggest and most prestigious importers and producers as well as some top sommeliers and industry writers some of them shown in the photo gallery below. As the top importer of Armagnac in the US, Heavenly Spirits was happy to have the opportunity to hang out and party with this hard working group.

The following two days were taken up by meetings with our producers and discussions of finding even better ways to serve American consumers of exceptional French spirits. We also had an opportunity to walk through what seemed like miles of exhibition halls that featured an amazing aray of the worlds finest wines and spirits. During this walk we spoke with some of the producers of products we might consider adding to our portfolio. The only word I can say about this right now is "aperitif,"... and boy are there some delightful products available that most Americans have never even heard of. Hopefully we will have more to report on this subject very soon. 

I will write more about the events and happenings stemming from VinExpo in later installments, but for now I'll just post a few photos and wish everyone a fantastic Summer. Feel free to contact us via email with comments and suggestions.

Cheers!  Click here for VinExpo 2011 Photo Gallery.

The 2011 Ultimate Spirit Challenge results were released almost a month ago and I am glad to finally have the chance to share the good news with you on this blog. Submitting our products to the Ultimate Spirit Challenge helps to assure us and our clients that quality remains our top priority. The purpose of Ultimate Spirits Challenge is to identify, recognize and reward those products which stand out in their respective categories, showing superior quality. Multiple panels of the highest-qualified experts blind-taste each entry by classification in appropriately grouped flights within each major spirits category, scoring each on the 100-point scale. Products that scored 90 points or higher are then evaluated blind once again, in newly-created groupings by a different panel of judges. Top scoring products were then reviewed again to determine a select group of finalists with the category’s highest-scorer being awarded a Chairman’s Trophy accolade.

We are very pleased to announce that all the products we submitted to the USC this year did exceptionally well with a few that scored at or near the top of their respective categories.

It was another whirlwind trip to New York, but well worth the trouble as we participated in the Annual VOS Grande Tasting event held at the City Winery. As usual it was a great opportunity for us to show and talk about our products to a wide range of people including retailers, restaurant owners, and many of the VOS sales staff who handle the Heavenly Spirits portfolio.

We also had the opportunity this year to talk with some folks from the media like Gregg Glaser of Modern Distillery Age www.distilleryage.com. If you are in the spirits industry and have not yet seen his on-line PDF magazine you really should. The articles are relevant and the design is clean and up-beat. We also got to talk with Anaïs Digonnet a journalist who writes for the publishers of France-Amerique magazine and Marie, a representative from FRANCE Today magazine.  

Of course you could not be in NY talking about Armagnac without May Matta Aliah (In The Grape) dropping by. In this case we happened to find her talking with one of her former wine students.

All in all it was a very worthwhile but somewhat exhausting trip as we drove home to Massachusetts that same night. See more photos in our gallery here.

This past weekend, Heavenly Spirits participated in a wonderful new tasting event sponsored by the MIT Club of Boston at the Royal, located just around the corner from where BLUE MAN GROUP perform. Ivy+ Fine Spirits was an opportunity for MIT Alumni and Grad students to taste some of the finest spirits available in New England while helping to raise some funds for the MIT Club and over $1,400 for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. We were one of only 28 spirit vendors invited to showcase our products and the only one specializing in French imports. Federal Wine and Spirits was the official retailer who made it possible for anyone to order any of the spirits they tasted. The response was phenomenal.

From the moment they opened the doors to the sold out crowd of almost 800 we had people standing four deep in front of our table for the opportunity to learn about and taste our products. One of the top attractions for our table (and for the event I was told) was our La Muse Verte Absinthe. Perhaps it was because we had the traditional absinthe fountain set up and filled with fresh ice water that we slowly dripped into the glasses of La Muse Verte. Folks were allowed to taste it with sugar or without. This very learned crowd wanted to know everything about the history of absinthe and so I obliged as best I could by putting on my college professor hat and telling them everything I knew. Apparently the word spread that we had something more than quality products because folks kept showing up at our table demanding to hear the whole story of absinthe. They also had questions for Christine about Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados and Armorik, our French made whisky as well.

The event ended promptly at 6:00 PM and due to a system of limiting the number of tastings to ten per person everyone seemed to safely walk away with a smile on their face and a glow in their heart. In fact I didn't even see one person who got totally Charlie Sheened, and that is a good thing. Congratulations to Kevin McComber and his team for doing such a fantastic job organizing this fine event.

See our photo gallery for more images of the event.

Heavenly Spirits Ranked as Leading

US Importer / Marketer of Armagnac

According to statistics recently released by the BNIA, Heavenly Spirits of Lakeville, MA is once again credited with the importation and distribution of more Armagnac to the US by volume than any other importer.

 Heavenly Spirits LLC, importers specializing in fine French spirits has earned the top US Armagnac distribution ranking for the third consecutive year, based on the importation and sales of a variety of Armagnac brands it represents. These Armagnac brands include Delord, Marie Duffau, Dartigalongue, Chauffe Coeur, and Artez.

What's new this year is that Armagnac Delord for the first time ever is the #1 producer of Armagnac sold in the USA, helped in part by its sister brand, Armagnac Marie Duffau. While sales for Delord have increased tremendously over the past few years, the Delord family remains focused on producing an artisinal product made in the same tradition as their ancestors.

Armagnac sales in general are of course only a drop in the bucket compared to overall Cognac sales. For every bottle of Armagnac sold in the US over 260 bottles of Cognac are sold.  Despite this fact, things are definitely moving in the right direction for the oldest spirit in France with a 29% increase in Armagnac sales in the US compared with 2009. Armagnac, along with many other types of artisanal and small batch spirits seem to be trending upward as a new generation as well as baby-boomers  seek to explore and educate themselves about what experienced palates drink both before and after a good meal.

We wish to thank our many dedicated distributors and clients as well as our producers for their efforts to expand the Armagnac market. To keep the trend going, we believe Armagnac fans should be the ones to continue spreading the word. Simply put, "If you like Cognac, you'll love Armagnac!"

The BNIA is the official trade office of the Armagnac region in France and according to its web site, “Armagnac is the oldest wine based eau de vie in France. It is produced in the heart of Gascony, Southwestern France, by a single distillation of white wine in an Armagnac alembic (still) and then left to age for many years in oak barrels.”

Just in time for Valentine's Day, we have a wonderful addition to the Heavenly Spirits portfolio, MonLuc, a cheerful sparkling wine from the heart of the Armagnac region in Southwest France. The vineyards are situated at a high altitude on sun-bathed hills. The grapes are Uni-Blanc, and Gros Manseng. The traditional production methode Champenoise is used to blend three vintages with a second fermentation in the bottle.

Light and vaporous with a fizzy temper and a slight lemony note, MonLuc is a very fruity yet dry sparkling wine with bubbles that are thin and soft. Great for parties, aperitifs, desserts or your own very private celebration.

This superb single malt, double distilled whisky made from 100% French malted barley is the first of its kind to be produced in France. Twenty-five years and several prestigious awards later Armorik has found its way to American shores and we at Heavenly Spirits are thrilled to be the exclusive importers for the US market.

This exceptionally well made whisky has everything a seasoned scotch or bourbon drinker will love, including a lightly floral aroma, a soft and honeyed entrance followed by a well balanced touch of spiced wood and citrus, and ending with a lightly smoked and pleasantly peaty finish. Armorik is the result of a very unique aging process, using a majority of refill bourbon casks made from American white oak and finished with some refill sherry casks made of Spanish oak. Jim Murry's 2010 Whisky Bible awarded Armorik 91 points.

As we are just beginning distribution, please contact us for availability in your area.

We have been getting great feedback on the new French Essentials Gift pack / Collector's Edition. It's like a Brandy seminar in a Box, with 200 ML. bottles of award winning Cognac, Calvados and Armagnac. Picture yourself tasting and comparing with your friends after that big holiday meal. Also includes information about each of the artisan distillers who make these wonderful products.

Only 240 of these 2010 collector sets will ever be made. Distribution is limited to locations in Massachusetts and Illinois, but most states can now order through Binnys in Chicago.

Order yours today before they are gone:

http://www.binnys.com/spirits/Heavenly_Spirits_Cognac_Armagnac_Calvados_3_Pack_Gift_Set_28689.html

By May Matta-Aliah

On Friday, November 26th May Matta-Aliah and Megan Wiig, Armagnac Ambassadors for NY and Chicago respectively, accompanied by 2 writers from the US set off to the magical land of Gascony where distillation was in full swing at the various houses dotting the countryside. Stop Number 1 on Saturday, November 27 was a memorable distillation party at the House of Delord in Lannepax. It was easy to forget where you were, once you stepped inside the garage doors, and were greeted by the sounds of dance music and cocktails shakers. A fabulous band of ladies added to the ambiance, as they rocked the house with their musical interpretations. Food was plentiful and kept on coming till the wee hours of the morning. At 1AM the Armagnac bottles were lined up for tasting, while the Alembic Armagnacais, continuously churning away in the background, reminded us of the magic of time in barrel that transforms this harsh young eau-de-vie into the wonderful richness we were enjoying so many years later. The valiant travelers enjoyed the festivities and danced the night away till 2:00AM. Not a bad way to start a trip!

The 2010 Collector’s Edition of Heavenly Spirits’ French Essentials is here. The gift set includes outstanding examples of award winning spirits from the three main Brandy producing regions in France; Armagnac, Calvados and Cognac. This is the first time these great spirits have ever been assembled in one package.We hope that in the spirit of giving and sharing it will become an annual tradition for us and for those of you who are equally passionate about the art of fine distillation. Happy Holidays!!!

On a whirlwind trip to the Big Apple this past weekend, Heavenly Spirits participated in the first ever Ultimate Cocktails, Spirits & Wine Blast. Held at the New York Marriot Marquis Hotel in the Broadway Ballroom and hosted by Sue Woodley and F. Paul Pacult, it was quite an event. The 1,200 tickets to the Blast sold for around $100 each and they were sold out well in advance. In addition to a festive ambiance, good live jazz music and a nice variety of finger foods the place was packed to the gills with some of the finest cocktails, wines and distilled spirits available in the world. These award winning products were the stars of the show as everyone clamored to get an ultimate taste and perhaps talk with the producers or agents of the libations they enjoyed most.

Click here to see more photos.

Christine and I were busy all night pouring samples and talking with folks who had come to learn about the eight Heavenly Spirits products that rated from Highly Recommended to Ultimate Recommendation in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge held in March of this year. We had pouring help from Calvados producer, Jean Roger Groult who flew in from Normandy and New York Armagnac Ambassador, May Matta-Aliah who was happy to come by and lend a hand.

Our award winning products included: Absinthe La Muse Verte, Armagnac Artez VSOP, Armagnac Delord XO, Armagnac Marie Duffau Hor d'Age, Calvados Roger Groult Pays d'Auge, Cognac du Peyrat VSOP, Cognac Seguinot Napoleon Grande Chamgagne, and Qino One Vodka.

We also had the pleasure of meeting and talking with dozens of New York retailers, and restaraunt owners as well as the industry media and producers from around the world.

Congratulations to Paul, Sue and the Ultimate Crew for putting together such a first class event!

We just got the news that La Muse Verte, our award winning Absinthe, has the highest rating from BEV MO Club members with a 94/100. This is not the first time we beat out the more publicized competition in a particular chain or market. In our opinion La Muse is the best, and most authentic artisinal absinthe on the market, but it is always nice to hear it from consumers. Because we do not have the marketing budget of some other brands, we rely on thoughtful consumers who taste La Muse and remember how tasty, refreshing and satisfying it is. Our thanks to all the La Muse Verte Absinthe and Pastis supporters out there. Check out the Bev Mo site here CLUB BEV MO and don't forget to tell your friends.

Created in 2006, Qino One Vodka not only supports Fair Trade practices by using Fair Trade quinoa, but we are also adamant supporters of Kiva.org. Launched in selective US markets in 2007, Qino One Vodka immediately received high praise for quality and taste from industry arbiters. In addition to receiving awards from The Chicago Beverage Testing Institute, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and an outstanding product evaluation from spirit guru Paul Pacult, Qino One Vodka has the distinction of being one excellent tasting vodka that happens to be made using fair trade quinoa and European rye.

This has been a busy summer for us so far and we've had lots of support from our Massachusetts retailers. Our July 3rd cocktail tasting at Cotuit Liquors was a big hit as customers enjoyed the Raspberry Cape Codder samples we were offering along with tastings of La Muse Verte Pastis and Absinthe. Many of the consumers we talked with had never heard of these popular French drinks but seemed happy to learn by tasting them. We ended up selling every bottle of Qino One Vodka red and blue in the store.

Martignettis of Brighton, MA has been supportive by building the Castle of Qino One Vodka pictured here and promoting it on their sign out front. It's not easy competing against the big industrial vodkas, but once you taste Qino One, you appreciate the all natural, no additive difference. Our Raspberry flavored vodka is so different from other brands who use flavored syrups. Qino One Raspberry is made from 100% natural raspberries macerated in Qino One vodka before being distilled and blended again. Almost no sugar is added. The nose is pure and natural raspberries.

Our summer tasting schedule is always being updated. Tonight we'll be at Corks in Mansfield, MA. Stop by for a Heavenly taste of  summer spirits.

Cheers!

As of July 6, 2010 the good folks in both New Hampshire and Oklahoma will be able to buy and enjoy Armagnac Marie Duffau Napoleon. This award winning, great-value Armagnac is the best selling product in the Heavenly Spirits portfolio across the USA. A range of other Heavenly Spirits products will likely soon follow.  If you live in one of these states please write us a note and let us know which of our products you would like to see available next. We’ll keep you posted.

Summer Tasting Events

Saturday, July 3, 3:00- 6:00 PM Cotuit Liquors, Cotuit, MA

Heavenly Spirits will be sampling a wide selection of our exceptional spirits and refreshing summer cocktails at one of our favorite Cape Cod retailers, including: Armagnac, Absinthe, Qino One Vodka, Pastis and Rum. Open to the adult public, please come by for a visit.

See www.uncorkedonline.com for more details.

Friday, July 9, 4:00- 7:00 PM Cork's, Mansfield, MA

Heavenly Spirits will be participating in Cork's Friday night tasting event, along with several other suppliers. Open to the adult public, please come by for a visit. We'll be tasting many of our wonderful products, including: Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados Absinthe and Rum.

See www.corksfinewine.com for more details.

Every 700 or so years the folks from Gascony like to get together and celebrate one of the unique things that separates their region from all the others in France. That thing is Armagnac, the oldest distilled brandy in France. This Septicentennial celebration is taking place throughout 2010 in four of the world's major cities; London, Chicago, Moscow and Paris.  This past week was Chicago's turn to celebrate and share information about one of the world's oldest and finest spirits. Events started on Thursday June 10th at the South Loop location of Binnys, Chicago's largest retail liquor chain. Brett Pontoni, Binny's Specialty Spirits Buyer was on hand hosting two guest speakers for a seminar on Armagnac. Heavenly Spirits' Christine Cooney and Jerome Delord of the Delord Armagnac house talked about the history and science of Armagnac and shared stories about the Delord family distillery. 

On Friday, the Armagnac celebration joined forces with the World Wine Meeting Convention held at the Downtown Chicago Embassy Suites. Events of the day included Armagnac Ambassador May Matta-Aliah  conducting a seminar on the subject of Armagnac to a standing room only crowd, a walk-around tasting of wines from all over France, a formal dinner and knighting ceremony. The walk-around tasting included a separate room devoted to Armagnac, representing ten of the top Armagnac producers and over sixty distinct Armagnac products.

The day was capped with a Gascony inspired dinner attended by over 350 wine and spirit devotees. The menu included Foie Gras, Smoked Duck, Confit de Canard, fingerling potatoes,  a plate of French Cheeses served with Fig Chutney, and finally a Galette de Pommes. Each person attending found a souvenir French beret on their seat with the Armagnac logo embroidered on the front.

Following the dinner, four individuals were formally knighted into the Armagnac Brotherhood Compagnie des Mousquetaires and presented with sashes, medals and diplomas for their long standing support in representing the quality and history of the Armagnac region and spirit. Two of these inductees were nominated by Heavenly Spirits; Brett Pontoni, the Specialty Spirits Buyer for Binnys and David Soto, Former Spirits Buyer for Sam's and now with Binnys. Both men have done an amazing job in educating their clients and promoting the virtues of Armagnac. For that, we salute them as we recognize their professional dedication, passion, and success.

As the leading importers and promoters of Armagnac in the USA, Christine and I were pleased to be part of such a notable and historic event. We were also pleasantly surprised to see so many industry associates and friends in attendance, for example: Lou Bock, our CA distributor, Ed Hamilton, the Minister of Rum, and Jerald O'Kennard of the BTI in Chicago. And, we should not fail to mention the pleasure we had in sharing the event with some of those great and personable Binny wine & spirit consultants like Joe Maloney and Gregory Fulham. In conclusion, I'd just like to wish Armagnac another 700 years equally as fruitful as the first. Cheers!

To see photos of this event please click here for Thursday or here for Friday.

Each year, the Spirit Journal by Paul Pacult, perhaps the most highly regarded spirit review publication in exsistance, selects the 130 Best Spirits in the World. As part of this year's selection 34 Five Star Bandies made the list, and we are very pleased to announce that four of them are from the Heavenly Spirits portfolio. Are we surprised? Not really, representing exceptional spirits has always been our goal, though it is awfully nice to have our own selection process confirmed by such a well respected source.

   Once again, we must credit our suppliers for doing such an outstanding job in producing these fine spirits and thank our distributors and clients for appreciating the quality and value that our products deliver.

Heavenly products that made the 2010 World's Best list include:

Cognac Seguinot, Grande Champagne - Napoleon - named the # 2 cognac of the year

(#1 priced under $400.)

Chauffe Coeur Armagnac Hors d'Age

Delord Armagnac, 25 Years Old

Chauffe Coeur Calvados Hors d'Age

If you have the opportunity to see the the entire list, ( http://www.spiritjournal.com/ )note how all of Heavenly Spirits products represent the best value by far, often competing against products that are four or five times the price.

According to statistics recently released by the BNIA, Heavenly Spirits of Lakeville, MA is credited with the importation and distribution of more Armagnac to the US by volume than any other importer.

That's right, and we did it for the second consecutive year, thanks to all you folks who appreciate quality and value, including our hard working distributors and our amazing suppliers who make such wondeful products. These Armagnac brands include Delord, Marie Duffau, Dartigalongue, Chauffe Coeur, and Artez.

Coincidently, this year marks the 700^th anniversary of Armagnac distillation. BNIA sponsored celebrations are planned for cities around the globe including London, Moscow and Chicago, and Paris. For its part, Heavenly Spirits plans to celebrate the 700^th anniversary and its top distributor ranking by continuing to promote Armagnac across the US through seminars and tastings in each of the states where its products are distributed. It also has plans to offer various Armagnac related prize give-aways (swag) through social media sites like Face Book and Twitter.

If you are planning any Armagnac 700 years celebrations please let us know about it.

cheers!

As some of you might recall, Christine and I created and introduced a new brand of super premium vodka in 2007 called Qino One Vodka. The product was well received and earned several industry tasting awards. Heavenly Spirits is now the sole distributor of the Qino One brand and we are eager to get back to the business of promoting it. This top shelf vodka fits in perfectly with the rest of our exceptional spirits portfolio. Made in Cognac, France from European rye, and enhanced with distilled organic fair-trade quinoa, Qino One Vodka is a perfect balance of body, style and vodka taste/non-taste.

When we first started the Qino One brand project, our goal was to go beyond creating “just another vodka.” Our intentions were to create a unique and exceptionally “good spirit,” one that could be enjoyed straight up in moderation or shared in mixed drinks among family and friends on social occasions. We also wanted it to be a product we were proud of and one that gave back in some way to those in the world who were less fortunate. By consolidating the brand ownership, these goals have been accomplished. In 2008 we joined the good efforts of Kiva.org by becoming a lender to disadvantaged entrepreneurs in developing countries. We now plan to increase our level of involvement with Kiva and urge others to do the same through the sales of Qino One Vodka and Qino One Raspberry Flavored Vodka. Starting in 2010, a percentage of all Qino One sales profits will be made available for Kiva loans. If you would like to support our Qino 4 Kiva initiative please continue to buy Qino One Vodka products. Or, you can contact Kiva.org directly by linking to their site in the ad at the bottom of this page.

This week we will be offering tastings of Qino One Vodka, Qino One Raspberry flavored vodka and several of our top rated brandies at Martignettis retail store in Brighton, MA. We will be there from 4: PM to 7:PM on Friday, April 16. We hope to see you there and as always, we thank you for your interest and support.

The VOS Annual Grand Portfolio Tasting event was held at the City Winery in New York on Monday and it was a great success with over fifty producers represented. Well attended despite the rain, we had a steady flow of visitors to our choice location at the bar. Many of the visitors were retailers who already stocked some of our products but they seemed to take great pleasure in sampling the full variety of what we had to share. This included a new product we are very excited about but are still awaiting FDA approval on; Genievre Vieux Malt, which I describe as an old time Gin distilled from 100% barley and aged in oak for 8 years. It is actually considered a vintage as the grain was harvested and distilled in 2001 and the product was bottled in 2009. It is made at the oldest active distillery in France, Claeyssens de Wambrechies. People who tasted this Genievre loved it and couldn't stop talking about it. The big question seemed to be "how to market it." Most who sampled it agreed it tastes like a flavorful, well aged whiskey with a hint of juniper. As a Friday-night Scotch drinker myself, I really enjoy the way this drink can be savored neat or on the rocks. One of the VOS Sales team managers took the time to mix his version of a Rob Roy using the Genievre and it was quite delicious.

Some of the other products VOS carries that we were showing include:

Roger Grout Calvados:

Vieux Calvados - 8 Years

Calvados Venerable - 20 Years

Calvados Age d'Or - over 30 Years

Philippe LaTourelle, Cognac VS

Jules Belin. Marc de Bourgogne

Marrie Duffau - Delord Armagnac:

Napoleon

Hors d'Age

25 years

1973

La Muse Verte:

Absinthe and Pastis

VOS Selection's CEO Victor Schwartz and his team did a wonderful job in putting this event together. We also had a great time at the after event party hosted by Victor and his wife, where we had the opportunity to chat with many of the wine makers who came from all parts of the globe.

We received news this week that ten (10) of our Heavenly Spirits products were awarded prizes from two of the most respected spirit competitions in the world; The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, headed by Paul Pacult in New York. The biggest prize of the group went to our Calvados Roger Groult, Hors D'age, earning a rare Double Gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Groult Calvados also picked up a top score in the Calvados category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, earning "95," and an Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation for the 8 year old Pays d'Auge. 

Another top winner in New York was Armagnac Marie Duffau, Napoleon, earning "95," and an Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation as well.

While all of the prizes reflect the passionate craftsmanship of our dedicated artisanal producers, they also serve as a positive recommendation for informed consumers to taste and enjoy the exceptional products represented in the Heavenly Spirits Portfolio. Following is a list of this weeks honored award recipients:

Semifinalist Extraordinary/
Ultimate Recommendation  95/ Roger Groult 8 yr old Calvados, Pays d’ Auge (France); 44% abv, $65.srp

Semifinalist Extraordinary/
Ultimate Recommendation  95/ Marie Duffau Hors D'Age 12 yr old Bas-Armagnac (France); 40% abv, $54.srp

Excellent/Strong Recommendation 92/ DeLord XO Bas-Armagnac (France); 40% abv, $57.srp

Excellent/Strong Recommendation 91/ Delord Napoleon Bas-Armagnac (France); 40% abv, $38.srp

Excellent/Strong Recommendation 90/ Sequinot Napoleon Cognac Grande Champagne (France); 40% abv, $78.srp

Excellent/Strong Recommendation 90/ Distillerie du Peyrat VSOP Cognac (France); 40% abv, $60.srp

Excellent/Strong Recommendation 90/ La Muse Verde Absinthe (France); 68% abv, $62.srp

Very Good/Recommended 88/ Sequinot VSOP Cognac Grande Champagne (France); 40% abv, $50.srp

Very Good/Recommended 86/ Qino One Vodka (France); 40% abv, $25.srp

An Evening of Armagnac

Tuesday, March 16, Miel Restaurant, Nashville, TN

Heavenly Spirits will be participating in "An Evening of Armagnac," where Christine will be presenting an informational tasting of five outstanding Armagnacs, France's oldest and some would argue finest distilled spirit. This event will be hosted by the fabulous Miel Restaurant Bistro in collaboration with Horizon Wine & Spirits, our Tennessee distributor.  Come help celebrate the 700th year of  this wonderful French spirit. Reservations are required for this sit down event. For more information see http://www.mielrestaurant.com/

VOS Selections' 2010 Grand Portfolio Tasting

Monday, March 22, City Winery, New York, NY, Noon -5:00PM

Heavenly Spirits will be participating in the much anticipated VOS Selections' Annual Grand Portfolio Tasting event, along with several other international suppliers. Unfortunately, this event is only open to the trade, but if you have a restaurant or retail store in the New York metropolitan or upstate area please come by for a visit and a taste. You can register at the door. See www.vosselections.com  for more details.

We just heard from Jerome Delord that the celebrated house of Delord has just received another award for the art of distilling, this time from the Concours General Agricole in Paris for the Delord Hors d'age (XO). The award was a gold medal, which once again confirms the high level of quality the Delord products are known for.

   Armagnac is the oldest spirit in France, celebrating 700 years in 2010. It must be nice for the hard working Delord family to know that after all these years, they are doing it as good or better than everyone else. We at Heavenly Spirits are proud to be representing such a fine house of artisinal spirits who are so dedicated to their craft. Ask for the Delord XO Armagnac at fine establishments near you or contact Heavenly Spirits for more information.

There was a real buzz in Westborough, Ma yesterday, as football fans descended on Julios Liquors in preparation of Super Bowl Sunday. Julios has one of the best selections in the State of beer, wine and exceptional spirits for all occasions. They carry a good amount  of products from the Heavenly Spirit portfolio and are doing a fantastic job with them.

It was a pleasure to set up a tasting table there yesterday and get to know some of their clientele as well as their excellently trained staff. We offered tastings of one Cognac; Godet VS, three Armagnacs; Marie Duffau Napoleon, Delord Napoleon, & Artez Folle Blanche VSOP, one Calvados; Chauffe Coeur VSOP, our Peardise liqueur, and Absinthe La Muse Verte. We took a lot of questions about the differences of Armagnac and Cognac and had fun talking with all who came by. An unofficial poll of tasters showed an even split on who these New Englanders were rooting for in the Superbowl. Most predicted a high scoring "spirited" game.

The weather couldn't have been more appropriate for our Cognac vs. Armagnac Brandy tasting; a day long New England snowish rain turned into an evening of rainish snow as we began comparing some of our finer cognacs and armagnacs for a group of almost twenty brave souls who came to listen and taste. Gordon's Tasting room, in their Watham location is as perfect a place as any I've seen for this type of tasting seminar and the staff was very helpful and attentive in assisting us. As Christine talked about the differences between the two French brandies, it was clear we had a relatively experienced, knowledgeable and good-natured crowd on hand. All together we tasted two cognacs; our new organic Cognac du Peyrat, VSOP and Cognac Seguinot Napoleon. We followed that with three armagnacs; Artez Folle Blanche VSOP, Armagnac Delord Napoleon, Chauffe Coeur VSOP, and finally, for a kind of refreshing ending, we tasted our Absinthe La Muse Verte, both with and without sugar. We heard great comments afterward and trust everyone made it home safely.

Hats off to my incredible wife, Christine, for the Babette like feast she threw together despite a bad back, to help us bring in the New Year. To be fair, it was at my urging that she began to imagine this incredible spread on Tuesday. She then bought all the ingredients on Wednesday and spent all day Thursday cooking and preparing. Here is how it unfolded starting at 8:PM New Years Eve: As the dozen or so adult guests arrived and gathered around the kitchen island, we started them with a cocktail which Christine assembled, shook slightly with crushed ice and poured into assorted martini glasses. The name of the cocktail that inspired the one we served is “Queen Bee,” and it was created by Neil Kopplin, bar manager of Carlyle Restaurant, Portland Oregon. Christine’s variation uses white Armagnac instead of vodka, so I’m going to call it a “Queen Bee - Christine.” Take White Armagnac, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, maple syrup, shake lightly with crushed ice and strain into martini glass. Top off with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon zest curls. As we sipped this deliciously refreshing nectar we began grazing on assorted starters like Mediterranean olives, lightly salted mixed nuts, grape tomatoes, and approximately ten different imported cheeses hand picked by Christine at Whole Foods, including: Brillat Savarin, Conte, Edel de Cleron, Emmental, Goat Brie Montchevre, Goat Gouda, Manchego, Petit Basque, and St. Nectaire.

                Before anyone got carried away by the Queen cocktail, we offered a choice of white wine: Sauvignon Blanc, from Sterling Vineyards - 2007, or Chardonnay, from Chalone Vineyards 2008… and then invited everyone into the dinning room buffet for the second round of eats; Hama chi Tartar, served on delicately thin rice crackers, Balsamic caramelized onion tart, a platter of Smoked Salmon and Trout, Seared Sea Scallops served on a bed of baby spinach, with a dribble of apple cider shallot reduction, and two choices of soups; Classic French Onion, deglazed with 15 year old Calvados served with homemade toasted croutons and sprinkled with shredded Swiss cheese, and a Cream of Cauliflower soup, topped with crumbled bits of baked prosciutto flakes, served in mini glass tea cups. Sophie, one of our guests, brought a beautiful salad of spinach and artichoke hearts. Kathy added a plate of grilled shrimp skewers on a bed of asparagus spears with a creamy garlic egg white dip. Christine advised us all to pace ourselves so as to remain ready for the main course which would follow.  Believe me, this was difficult to do.

                Per our request, each guest brought a bottle of red wine and as a result, we ended up with quite a decent line-up to select from, including: three Malbecs – Andeluna 2007, Colores Del Sol Reserve 2008, Graffigna Reserve 2007, two Pinot Noirs – Kendall-Jackson 2006, Beringer 2006, two Zins – Rosenblum XXXI cuvee, Gnarly Head 2007, a California Cab – Toad Hollow 2004, and both a Meritage and a Shiraz from Sterling Vineyard. “Gnarly” is right!

                The third wave of this amazing New Years Eve feast included  a Roasted leg of Lamb stuffed and encrusted with a half inch thick blanket of bread crumbs, mushrooms, shallots and herbs, a Champagne Risotto with prosciutto and asparagus tips (recipe from our good friends the Ackermans), and more asparagus spears served in melted butter on the side.  

                At the stroke of midnight we toasted in the New Year with flutes of Moet & Chandon, compliments of our guests Carol and Cameron. Dessert was then served and included: a very tasty Tarte a l’Orange from the recipe file of Christine’s Tata (Aunt) Nennette, as well as some Oeufs au lait, homemade individual custards topped with fresh raspberries and coulis served with a thin, crisp almond cookie from Trader Joes stuck into the top. To accompany the dessert we served a choice of more champagne or Floc de Gasgone, a dessert wine from the Armagnac region and finally, a short coffee. (note: Teenagers in attendance were only allowed to drink nonalcoholic sparkling cider, water, or juice.)

                By this time (1:00 – 2:00 AM), everyone had migrated to the living room and was spread out around the glowing fireplace, when to help with our digestion Christine presented a hand-picked selection of exceptional cordials and spirits, including award winning brandies from the Heavenly Spirits portfolio; Cognac Seguinot XO, Armagnac Delord 25 yrs., Armagnac Delord 1969, Calvados Chauffe Coeur 15 yrs., Calvados Roger Groult 40 yrs., as well as a few of our favorite liqueurs; Canton ginger, Godet Pear, and Cream Shery Zuleta. She even pulled out one of the few remaining bottles of Eau de vie de Amedee, distilled from plums on her Grandfather’s farm over forty years ago. For us, Christine’s Feast was a great way to bid adieu to a year that we would mostly like to forget, and to usher in the promise of much better things to come. Christine and I would like to thank all of our friends, associates and customers for their continued support, and to wish you all a very positive, prosperous, healthy and happy 2010. We look forward to seeing you on the journey.

Cheers! Daniel & Christine Cooney

On Wednesday, December 30, 1:PM - 4:PM, come by, and say hi at Lukes Super Liquor Store in Yarmouth, MA . http://www.capecodwines.com/winecellar/location.htm Lukes is one of the premier suppliers of Wine and Spirits on Cape Cod. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff are always available to help you with your selection. We will be tasting Cognac Godet, Cognac Seguinot, Armagnac Marie Duffau, and our new Pearadise liquor, made from pear and cognac.

On Tuesday, January 19, 7:PM - 8:30PM, sign up for our spirits seminar to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Cognacs and Armagnacs, at Gordons Wine & Spirits in Waltham, MA. http://center.gordonswine.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/11205 Gordon's unique Culinary Center has a wonderful reputation for sharing and learning and we are pleased to be presenting there. We will be tasting a variety of Cognacs and  Armagnacs and finishing with a very special absinthe imported exclusively by Heavenly Spirits. There is a $15.00 fee for this seminar.

We have been busy doing as many tastings as we could fit in to our busy schedule this past week. While at Yankee Spirits on Thursday, Anthony who is part of the helpful staff there in Attleboro introduced me to a real Double Arrogant Bastard (beer). It actually is sold with a little pad lock and key, (I guess to keep other bastards out). We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and keeping it safe by drinking in moderation. cheers!

We are back from our three day stay in Chicago where we met some great folks interested in learning about French Spirits. On Thursday we were at the Grant Avenue Binnys Managed by Ken Jursa. We were invited to set up a table and serve as a kind of finishing point for a fine wine tasting of Grand Cru Bordeaux and a few Sauternes. I even had the rare opportunity to taste a creamy smooth Yquem Sauternes - 1995. Unbelievable! As I was sipping it, I kept thinking, "Where is the foie gras?" At our Heavenly Spirits table we sampled the participants on four different Armagnacs; 6, 10, 15, and 25 year old, all from the Delord distillery in Lannepax, France, and two different Calvados; an 8 year old Roger Groult and a 6 year old Chauffe Coeur, both from the Pays d' Auge region. In addition to that, we had our LaMuse Verte Absinthe Fountain set up and talked to the tasting crowd about the myths and mysteries of absinthe.

On Friday night we were scheduled to give a two hour sit down tasting seminar at the Highland Park Binnys, on French Spirits, featuring Armagnac Marie Duffau 1st Cru along with some of the selections from the previous night. When we arrived at the store, we were happy to find that Manager, David O' Sullivan, and Assistant Manager, Jason Lawrence and crew had sold out the 31 seats available for the seminar and that they were still turning people away only a half hour before we started. It was a lively and good natured group, who asked a lot of pertinent questions. It served as a good reminder to us of why we love this business. One of the attendees, Justin, a wine and spirits writer of Grapevine Consulting told us that he is constantly aware that each one of these fine libations is the result of someone's artistry, passion, and dedication to the craft of distillation. We could not agree more, as this is the exact point that we try to communicate in each of our presentations. Distillation is an Art and we are proud to be representing some Heavenly Masterpieces. Our plan for 2010 is to book more of these tastings and seminars for those who want to learn more about this tasty and distinct Art.

For more photos see our picture gallery page.

Come to Binneys, Highland Park Store in Chicago for a

Cognac Distillerie du Peyrat: organic Cognacs
Distillery du Peyrat produces exclusively organic Cognacs. Located in a small village 10km from Cognac on the banks of a river, du Peyrat produces, distills and ages eaux de vie with the respect of the environment and the intense expression of the “terroir”.
The Cognacs are certified organic by the strict European official organization Ecocert but they are not yet certified in the US. The production of fine natural Cognacs is truly a question of patience, but the Distillerie du Peyrat knows how to wait... the family has been transmitting its know-how generation after generation since 1705!
We selected the VSOP 6 years old.
Available at the end of October.

Spirit Journal founder and spirit tasting expert, Paul Pacult has recently tasted and reviewed our Seguinot Napoleon Grande Champagne Cognac and awarded it with his highest rating, five stars. His review appears in the September 2009 issue of the Spirit Journal, (http://www.spiritjournal.com/).

Also reviewed in the September issue is the Seguinot V. S. O. P. Cognac which earned a “Highly Recommended” four star rating, as well as our Calvados Roger Groult’s 8 year old Pays d’Auge which also earned a “Highly Recommended” four stars. We are thrilled but not surprised at the news. The entire Heavenly Spirits portfolio has been carefully assembled for the unique qualities, and craftsmanship evident in each of the products we represent. It is indeed satisfying to have such an affirmative confirmation from someone as well regarded as Paul Pacult. The Spirit Journal, one of the industry’s most respected review forums, is published in print only, on a quarterly basis and it does not accept advertising. Check back to read the full reviews which we will be posting here on the site.

Christine returned late Friday from a week of Armagnac promotion on the waterways of two of America’s great cities; New York and Chicago. Both events were well attended and the nine Armagnac producers who crossed the Atlantic to share their distillations with America had a wonderful opportunity to do so. The group included: Chateau De Briat, Castarede, Delord /Marie Duffau, Comte De Lauvia, Domaine Du Tariquet, Semple, de Montal, Chateau De Laubade, Darroze, and Cles des Ducs.

Both events, included educational seminars, tastings, dinners and lots of networking opportunities among producers, distributors, retailers and members of the press. Some of the conversation centered on next year’s seven hundredth anniversary of the very first distillation of Armagnac, the oldest French spirit on record. The National Bureau of Armagnac is already in the planning process for promotional celebration events at home and abroad. We will keep you posted.

In an effort to introduce and educate more American consumers to the pleasures of fine armagnac, several armagnac producers and the National Bureau of Armagnac have gotten together and organized two major Armagnac tasting events in June. Both of these events are geared toward people in the trade ( journalists, retailers, sommeliers, club organizers) and center around a dinner cruise. The first event is scheduled to take place in New York on Tuesday June 2 aboard the Atlantica Yacht. Festivities kick off at 4:00 PM and continue until 1:00 AM. Two days later on June 4th, the tasting party moves to Chicago aboard the Fort Dearborn. Again, the event is designed for people in the trade and is by invitation only. However, If you are a real armagnac enthusiast and are free that night we might be able to get you on the list. Drop us an email and we'll see if we can send you an invitation.

You might soon be hearing more about the Armagnac region in the news, as they are warming up for next year's 700th anniversary celebration of the first traceable origins of the drink's creation in 1310. It should be quite a party.

To learn more about tasting and appreciating French Brandies link to Paul Pacult's web page which offers insightful tips on the subject: http://www.spiritjournal.com/vault.htm

Christine is in NY visiting some of our many spirit clients with Victor and his crew. She will also be participating in a major absinthe tasting at the Beougeois PIG tonight, where she will be pouring samples of our incredible absinthe, La Muse Verte. Depending on how things go she might even show the Pastis La Muse Verte as well. Our award winning pastis which has been available in the states for almost eight years has enjoyed a surge of interest due to all the attention that the absinthe has received. These amazing artisinal products are both in a class of their own and I expect that will be discovered by many at this sold out event tonight. For more info on this DrinkUp NY sponsored event go to: http://www.drinkupny.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=E0004

No joke, we are just back from a real whirlwind trip to Chicago. We had a variety of different projects to attend to and people we needed to visit but whenever we are in Chicago we always find time to visit some of our favorite retailers. During this trip Christine stopped in for a nice visit with Brett Pontoni at the new South Loop Binnys, and we both got to say “Hi!” to David Soto, the spirits buyer at Sams. These two fine establishments have been supporting the Heavenly Spirits product line for over a dozen years and they always seem interested in any new gems we discover and bring with us to share.

The newest of our product line to be shown at Sams is La Muse Verte Absinthe, and Pastis. David reports that sales have been very good at Sams. It does not surprise me that our pastis is enjoying new interested buyers based on all the buzz that the absinthe is making. Pastis of course, is the milder, slightly sweeter and more liquorishy cousin to absinthe. Sans thujone, it was created to take the place of absinthe when all the fuss was originally started back in 1915. Pastis is now standard bar fare in virtually every bar in France. It is taken throughout the day and is especially popular in the summer and in the South. Find out more about La Muse Absinthe and Pastis on our web site.

The Armagnac Delord line, (pictured here with David and Christine) continues to be one of our most popular products in both of these fine Chicago wine & spirit chains.

The final Armagnac numbers are in for 2008 and the news is good for CC and Heavenly Spirits. The Delord Armagnac House, producing both DeLord and Marie Duffau Armagnac is the second most sold Armagnac in the US behind Larresingle. Combined sales of DeLord and Marie Duffau represented 10% of all the Armagnac sold in the US, based on the numbers of 46 producers.

If you combine all four Armagnac brands sold in 2008 by CC Spirits and Heavenly Spirits it makes Heavenly the largest overall importer of Armagnac by 20%.

DeLord / Duffau increased the volume of US sales  by 12% in 2008 as did Armagnac Chauffe Coeur, while sales of Armagnac Dartigalongue show an increase of 80% for the same year.

This is indeed good news for our retailers and distributors as well as anyone else in the US who appreciates fine Armagnac.

Here I am, just back from the Boston Wine Expo. We used to attend regularly when Christine was selling wine, but we hadn’t been in a number of years. The Boston event still does not allow spirits. I guess they think the local culture isn’t quite ready to handle it. After all, it has only been twenty-five years or so that the region has been “getting” wine. I think we are ready for spirits and would like to suggest to the expo committee that if they are worried about people getting swacked, perhaps they should start with limited tasting times, say between 10:00 and 12:00 each day. That is the optimal time for tasting spirits anyway.

  It was a real pleasure for us being able to casually walk the aisles saying hi to friends old and new. We cleared some goods for the Michelotti winery so they had a booth with Heavenly Spirits written on it. They have a fantastic line-up of limited production Italian wines that retail between $12. - $50. It was great fun tasting the entire stair. Our friend Dick Tosi is the brand manager in the US for these fine products. Check them out at: www.nocetomichelotti.com

   We also had the pleasure of seeing our friend Diego De Corte, formally of Tricana in NY, who is now co-owner of Bonhomie Wine Imports. He showed us some very impressive Chiantis, and a wonderful Vernaccia di S.Gimignano, full of grapefruit and green apple.

www.bonhomiewine.com .

   Finally, on our way out of the expo hall who do I see, but Gary V. That is Gary Vaynerchuck of wine library fame. He is a virtual internet rock star and I had intended on attending his seminar that was held earlier in the day but missed it. So we introduced ourselves, exchanged cards and he graciously offered to take a photo with us. If you do not know Gary and you are in the wine business, you should. Check him out: www.winelibrary.com  See more photos on our gallery page.

Heavenly Spirits is now in Tennessee and pleased to be working with Horizon Wine & Spirits. We shipped our first order of Heavenly Spirits to Tennessee in November and just received another order in January. Horizon is working out of their newly built facilities in Nashville, a 138,000 sq ft. facility on a 15 acre site, designed by one of Nashville’s premier design-build contractors.

Horizon certainly seems to have positioned themselves for managed growth in an ever expanding marketplace and that should prove to be good for Heavenly Spirits as well.

If you are in Tennessee look for the following Heavenly products: Delord Armagnac, Marie Duffau Armagnac, La Muse Verte Absinthe

We stopped by to see Vincent at the Cardozas Wine & Spirit Emporium in Dartmouth today. Pleased to see that some of our Heavenly Spirits had been moving off the shelf, we spoke about the possibility of running a French Spirit training seminar. We will keep you posted as to times and dates if it happens. Please let us know via the comment button if you are interested in this kind of tasting / learning event.

Cardozas' chain of wine & spirit stores in the Greater New Bedford area has done a tremendous job in promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the food and wine culture over the past twenty years. We are very pleased to be represented in these fine quality stores.  http://www.cardozas.com

Heavenly Spirits is very proud to announce that our Chauffe Coeur Calvados, Hors D'age (15 yrs.) is recognized as one of the top 50 outstanding quality spirits of 2008 as selected by the editors of Wine Enthusiast magazine. In fact, seeing as it was the only calvados selected I wonder if that makes it the top calvados of the year? Read the entire article here: http://www.wineenthusiast.com/winemag/Top50Spirits_TopShelf.pdf

Boston MA – January 9, 2009 – Here I am, just back from visiting the original Brix Wine Shop on Washington Street in Boston, where I had the pleasure of meeting Carri Wroblewski, one of the owners. If you drink wine and live in or near Boston you need to check this place out. Looking and feeling much more like a modern art gallery than your typical ramshackle corner Liquor Mart, Brix takes buying Wines and Spirits to another level, in a clean, clear, oh so civilized way. When we first walked into the store after escaping the frigid gusty winds that were blowing outside, we found Carri cradling a $4,000. bottle of Cognac. Not your typical bottle of hooch by any stretch, it was a special order for a special customer and it had just arrived. Clearly, being able to offer and supply this kind of specialty service for her clients was something Carri was proud of and something not many other liquor merchants were willing or able to do. Before returning to us, Carri shuttled the $4,000. bottle into the back of the store for safe keeping until her client arrived.

            After a quick inspection of the store’s offerings, we were pleased to find that Brix already carries two of our products, Cognac Seguinot - VSOP, and Armagnac DeLord - XO. Both products are nicely displayed on the top shelf spirit wall, located behind the main counter/bar. “Our Heavenly Spirits are in very good company,” I thought to myself, here along with the likes of some very high quality whiskeys, rums, vodkas and gins.

            One of the design details I noticed and liked while viewing the walls of wine offered at Brix is the way the prices are hand written on a plain and simple hang tag presented on the neck of each bottle. It creates a unifying effect on the wall and makes it easy to remove the price from the bottle after purchase.

            The only down side I can imagine to such a clean and efficient presentation of wine and spirit products is if you are the type who likes to rummage through dusty old bins looking for rare and chancy bargains. If that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it at Brix. But, if you want clean, clear choices of top rated wines and spirits, reasonably priced with smart helpful people ready to assist you, shop here. You’ll feel right at home. And tell them the Spirit Guy sent you. For more information see: www.brixwineshop.com .

Mike Decicco interviewed Dan and Christine Cooney at the BCS warehouse in Bridgewater, MA and wrote this article for the Brockton Enterprise : http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x301541579/New-wine-business-brings-a-little-bit-of-France-to-Lakeville/

It was nice of Mike to take the time. Christine set up a nice demo on how to prepare Absinthe and we talked all about it, so just a little surprised that absinthe was hardley mentioned in the article.