How Heavenly Spirits became the leading importer of Armagnac and other French spirits categories.

Christine Cooney, CEO Heavenly Spirits LLC

“Did you have a mentor in the industry? Have you been a mentor to others?

I could say that my grandfather was my very first mentor. He is the one who taught me all about wine and spirits including Armagnac at a very young age. He also taught me about business as I witnessed him running his wine merchant company. “

Click to read the full interview with Christine!

At Heavenly Spirits, we believe every great spirit deserves to shine in the glass, not just on the shelf. That’s why we’re excited to launch a new cocktail series, where we’ll be sharing inspired recipes that showcase the craftsmanship, flavor, and versatility of our portfolio. Whether you’re a home bartender looking to shake things up, or a connoisseur curious to explore fresh ways to enjoy your favorite spirits, these cocktails are designed to bring a little creativity—and a lot of enjoyment—into every pour. Raise a glass, and let’s get mixing.

Heavenly Spirits LLC, officially incorporated in 2008 and based in Massachusetts, had its roots planted long before its formal founding. The spark that eventually led to the creation of this acclaimed importer of fine French spirits can be traced back to the childhood of Christine Foubert Cooney.

The ABCs of French Whisky

French whisky is a growing and exciting category of spirits that has garnered increasing attention from whisky connoisseurs worldwide. While France is most famous for its wines and brandies (especially Cognac), it has been slowly carving out its own niche in the whisky world.

We were joined on our exploration of some of the leading craft Cognac producers by a special guest, Macaulay Minton, founder of Dark Arts Whiskey House in Lexington, Kentucky. His presence allowed us to share deeper insight to this historic spirit, by contrasting it with the perspective of a modern American craft whisky producer. What ensued was a one-of-a-kind cultural and professional exchange.

Christine Cooney, Co-Owner of Heavenly Spirits Imports, has spent years cultivating a portfolio of exceptional French spirits, including Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados. Her dedication to quality and authenticity has made Heavenly Spirits a trusted name in the industry.

As warm Spring weather quickly approaches, we asked Christine Cooney, co-founder of Heavenly Spirits Imports about the topic of French inspired Spring cocktails and here is what she had to say.

It was a heavenly night for Christine Cooney. On October 23, the cofounder and CEO of Heavenly Spirits Imports, which specializes in showcasing and selling French spirits in the United States, was made a knight of the Ordre du Mérite Agricole at a ceremony in Boston.

L’apéritif. Or, l’apéro, for short, as in, On prend l’apéro, or let’s get/have a drink.

But while the phrase and the timing after work suggests the American happy hour, the French aperitif is so very different and so much more.

Celebrating 15 Years of Heavenly Spirits

To prepare for this National French holiday, we caught up with Dan and Christine Cooney, owners of Massachusetts-based Heavenly Spirits, which specializes in imported French Spirits, to learn more about this widely celebrated holiday.

There’s no dichotomy in spirits like Cognac. With a history dating back hundreds of years, the famed French brandy is led by gigantic legacy brands owned by multinational conglomerates.

Unexpected aging regimens and modern cocktails breathe new life into the spirits category

From humble beginnings to French knighthood

Christine and Daniel Cooney, the co-owners of the US importer of artisanal French spirits, talk about how they joined the sector, and the trends they’ve noticed recently.

On Monday, October 13, 2023, the Consul General, Mr. Mustafa Soykurt, presented Mrs. Christine Cooney, co-founder and owner of Heavenly Spirits, with the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole.

On Monday, October 13, 2023, the Consul General, Mr. Mustafa Soykurt, presented Mrs. Christine Cooney, co-founder and owner of Heavenly Spirits, with the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole.

Christine Cooney, co-founder and co-owner of Heavenly Spirits, has been helping to promote and enhance French spirits in the United States for over 30 years. As Heavenly Spirits celebrates its 15th anniversary, the company has undeniably become one of, if not the largest, importer of Armagnac in the country.

The first page of Christine Cooney's history with Armagnac was written more than twenty-five years ago, when this Charentaise opened the door of several Gers houses, those of Dartigalongue in Nogaro and Delord in Lannepax.

From the very beginning, the Cooney’s mission was to represent exceptional craft spirits produced in France.

The ages-old adage that you should never go into business with your spouse couldn’t be further from the truth for Daniel and Christine Cooney, the co-owners of Heavenly Spirits – a French Spirits import and wholesaler in West Wareham, Massachusetts.

Despite living on different hemispheres for most their lives, Daniel (an American with Irish and Scottish ancestry) and Christine (who is French) met during a trip to Iceland in the 1980s. By 1989, the two had married and settled in San Francisco. In 2008, they founded Heavily Spirits, a name that refers to “the angel’s share” – the portion of the distillation lost to evaporation while aging in oak barrels.

With a name like heavenly spirits, we expected something angelic and magical and they were happy to oblige. If we started to list the medals they won at Bartender Spirits Awards 2022, we’d be going on all day!

Originally from La Rochelle, the homeland of cognac, Christine Cooney née Foubert has been living in the United States since the late 1980s. With her husband Daniel, she has been at the helm of the import company Heavenly Spirits since 2008. But the Charentaise woman has more than thirty years of experience in the spirits industry.

After a meet-cute on an eleven-hour flight, Daniel Cooney and Christine Foubert’s lives were changed forever.

For those who seek to commemorate a benchmark birthday with a bottle, Armagnac may be your best bet.

Armagnac: Best aged up to 50 years

While France might not be the first place you think of when it comes to whisky - there are compelling reasons it could be.

Armagnac is perhaps the most wine-like of spirits, and so it makes sense that, at Vinous, we begin our foray into the high-proof world of liquor by looking deeply into this classic brandy from Gascony.

Fine & Rare, a restaurant and bar in Midtown Manhattan, recently held an Armagnac tasting to educate its servers and bartenders about the lesser-known French brandy.

At Heavenly Spirits, the emphasis is on quality over expedience. “The big houses,” she says, “do it because it’s all about money, but we do something different.”

Christine Cooney, whose Heavenly Spirits imports and distributes five labels of Armagnac and four Cognacs, says her business has been growing steadily over the last five years. “We attribute that growth to a general interest among American consumers in artisanal spirits from all over,” she says. “Even though that’s a term overused and misused, Armagnac is nothing if not artisanal.”

Armagnac will never see sales on par with those of vodka—or even other aged spirits like bourbon or single-malt scotch. But as the whiskey market booms and prices rise (especially in the U.S.) and drinkers increasingly look for spirits with a sense of not just quality, but authenticity, Armagnac is finally drawing more attention.

In 1985, Daniel Cooney and Christine Foubert boarded the same plane in Iceland and introduced themselves to one another. Christine, native to the Cognac region of France, and Dan, an Irish American from Southeastern Massachusetts.

“Taste is subjective; each person is different. The best way to learn, and to understand what you like is to taste a wide variety and compare,” says Daniel Cooney, co-found of Heavenly Spirits