Cognac is not an exotic import but one of the spirits on which British drinking culture was built. Long before whisky hardened into national shorthand, Cognac moved through London clubs, naval messes and drawing rooms as currency, medicine and pleasure. A French creation but British merchants shaped the trade; British tastes shaped the blends themselves. For generations, Cognac was not saved for milestones. It was simply how serious people drank. Which makes its sidelining all the more curious.
London will talk itself hoarse about mezcal and anything which has merely glanced at a sherry cask, applauding its own curiosity, while leaving Cognac parked like an awkward relative. This has nothing to do with Cognac’s limits. It has everything to do with how it has been handled. But attentions shift; fashion evolves.
