Tea tipped as top Cognac cocktail ingredient

Hennessy is launching a UK campaign to encourage bartenders to pair Fine de Cognac with tea.

A little Cognac in your tea, sir?

The world’s largest-selling Cognac brand believes the delicate qualities of Fine de Cognac pairs perfectly with many teas from around the world.

Eager to prove its theory, the brand gathered some of London’s top bartenders, including those from Worship Street Whistling Shop, Browns Hotel and Calooh Callay, for an experiemental workshop hosted by Renaud de Gironde of Hennessy’s tasting committee.

“Our aim for the workshop was to inspire some of the UK’s leading mixologists to create cocktails blending our Fine de Cognac with unique flavour profiles of tea – from oolong and black teas, to delicate green and jasmine teas – we are giving bartenders carte blanche to create their own blend of two of the world’s most celebrated drinks,” said Gironde, who partnered with Postcard Teas.

Cocktails conceived by mixology consultant Dre Masso include Fine de Cognac with crème de cacao, Earl Grey tea and cream, a contemporary twist on the Sidecar, and tea-infused mineral water.

To encourage attending bartenders further, Hennessy has turned its concept into a competition. Each outlet will create, list and promote its own cocktail for two months, before a judging panel will name the most innovative and commercially successful.

The winner will be whisked away on a trip to Shanghai to visit its top-end bars and tea plantations.