SB meets… Christine and Daniel Cooney, Heavenly Spirits

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.

How did you get into the industry?

CC: My grandfather, Amedée Foubert, a farmer and winemaker in the small French village of Saint-Jean-de-Liversay, in Cognac, was a big influence. My first job out of university was as a trilingual export assistant for a Cognac négociant. In 1988, two years after meeting Dan, I moved to San Francisco to join him, and started working as a spirits broker and the director of US sales for an Italian wine consortium.

DC: When Christine moved in, I was just finishing my master of fine arts degree at UC Berkeley. In addition to teaching and practising art and design, I supported Christine in her work in the spirits industry, and started learning alongside her.

What is Heavenly Spirits’ story?

DC: After a move to France in 1994, then back to the US in 1999, in 2001 we settled in Lakeville, Massachusetts, to raise our two boys. In 2008, Christine was still brokering spirits and I was teaching at colleges – then we decided to apply for an import licence and build our own distribution company. The name Heavenly Spirits was inspired by the part of an ageing cellar that contains the oldest spirits, a room generally known as ‘le Paradis’. It also relates to the ‘angels’ share’ – the spirits that evaporate through the barrels during maturation.

CC: Our mission has always been to promote the art of exceptional French distillation methods, as they have been done for hundreds of years, mostly by small family operations. My grandfather impressed on me the importance of doing things well.

Have you noticed any changes in consumer tastes since you started your business?

DC: The biggest change is that the typical American consumer has become increasingly discerning about what they eat and drink. Consumers want to know more about where products come from and how they are made. This has been good because of the passion and quality we represent.

What are some of your key products?

CC: Heavenly Spirits has always sought to promote high-quality brandies made by smaller producers, offered for a fair price, including Armagnac, Calvados, and single-distiller Cognacs. We almost immediately became (and remain) the leading importer of Armagnacs in the US, accounting for almost 40% of the market share in volume.

You mainly offer French products to the US market – do you plan to go international?

DC: A few years ago, I heard about another Cooney clan in the spirits business: the Drogheda Cooneys, who own Boann Distillery in Ireland. I’ve got to know Peter Cooney, its director, and we have been talking about importing an apple brandy that the company makes, using a blend of Irish and French brandies. We’re hoping to have it by 2024. We also offer whiskies from Lebanon, Scotland and the US.

What importance do you place on sustainability?

CC: Most of our suppliers practice sustainable and organic farming techniques. A few are leaders in the development of these practices. Distillerie du Peyrat, Armorik, Claque Pépin, and Dartigalongue are all standouts for the highest-quality certified organic spirits.

Are there any exciting developments that we can look forward to from Heavenly Spirits?

DC: The biggest news we recently received is that Christine will be the recipient of one of the most prestigious awards given by the French government for her support of French agriculture and gastronomy.