The Easy Tip For Pairing Cognac With Your Meal

Compared to spirits like whiskey and tequila, cognac is too often overlooked as a complement to food. Yet as a French wine-based spirit, it has a profile that delectably melds with many bites. It's designed for smooth sipping and follows a regulated production process that involves two copper still distillations of locally grown grapes and aging in oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The result is elegant and displays a diverse range of tasting notes covering everything from bright sweetness to spice, fruity notes, and caramel, depending on the bottle. If you're having difficulty deciding what to pair with cognac, author, social media influencer, and cocktailian Natalie Migliarini of Beautiful Booze is here to help you match the complex spirit with your meal.

Her advice? "Consider the richness of the dish" to align it with the drink's age and intensity. Cognac's maturation duration strongly impacts the flavor, and there are three main classifications to choose from: VS (Very Special), VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), and XO (Extra Old). Each of these correlates to the amount of time the youngest brandy of the mixture is aged. Match these markers to the heaviness of the dish for stress-free pairing.

When pairing foods with spirits, a common concern is that the booze will overwhelm with its boldness. However, younger cognac packs in a floral taste that will jibe with gentler pairings. Natalie Migliarini notes, "For lighter fare like fish or soups, a younger cognac such as VS or VSOP works well." Indeed, even delicate bites like oysters can be enjoyed alongside a young VS cognac, especially when it's chilled.

This style, which stands for Very Special, contains a blend of grape distillates with at least one eau-de-vie that spent two years barreled. Sometimes, they may still contain a drying, tannin-rich flavor, and strong alcohol notes, making it better suited for mixing. However, the best versions showcase a vibrant, zesty spirit perfect for sipping with something like a bisque or chowder, heartier grilled fish like tuna, or a salad with a tasty young cheese.

However, let the cognac spend more time in the barrel — at least four years — and the pairing possibilities open even further. "VSOP is also a versatile choice that pairs with a wide range of foods," says Migliarini. These spirits come through smoother on the palate, with more wood flavor and hints of spice. As a result, they'll meld beautifully with slightly heavy foods like cured pork products and lightly aged cheeses. So, put together your picture-perfect charcuterie board and serve a glass of cognac alongside to impress guests.

Once it's time for bolder dishes, then you'll need to move along to the Extra Old cognac, which spends at least 10 years in barrels. "For heartier dishes like steak or rich desserts, opt for an XO," advises Natalie Migliarini. Such a spirit and food pairing is an impressive synergy. Serve the best chef-recommended steak cuts with a glass of XO, replacing a whiskey or wine pairing with this spirit's delicious flavor.

Alternatively, you can prepare game like duck alongside the spirit — the bird's fattiness perfectly contrasts with the more matured cognac. Similarly, ultra-rich foods like paté and creamy aged cheeses will also work fabulously.

If you're sipping on the spirit as a nightcap, then one of the best pairings is dark chocolate. Whether you serve it as a mousse, a decadent cake, or a simple square, the sweet, caramel and complex notes of XO cognac will accentuate those same notes in your sweets. As long as you follow Migliarini's advice, you can enjoy cognac in all kinds of unexpectedly delicious pairings.