I cant think of a name more fitting for cognac than Conjure, a bottle of which I recently received. Mention of this booze tends to summon one of two very different (and equally cartoonish) images.
Theres the waspy dude in a smoking jacket, raising a snifter of amber liquid in toast to, say, cornering the worlds rhodium market. And theres your young hip-hop mogul, celebrating a global hit song over drinks with 43 of his closest semi-clad female friends.
Conjure, a collaboration of Grammy-winning singer/actor Chris Ludacris Bridges and the 122-year-old cognac house Birkedal Hartmann, falls squarely into the rhapsodic rappers column. Not that this just some Crunk Juice ingredient (For those who dont remember, Crunk Juice was a blend of cognac and energy drinks such as Red Bull that rappers raved about in the mid-2000s).
Its good hooch, with a fair amount of spice and hints of apples, though a little sweet for drinking straight, I think. But its a smooth drink on its own for those who like it. And at around $34 a bottle, its far less expensive than most cognacs. Oh, and when you look closely at the bottle, youll see those designs are really tiny images of naked women.
Now, I like cognac straight. But theres a whole tradition and one thats blessedly being revived in bars around the country of making cocktails with it. And theyre also perfect during the holidays, especially when the weathers nippy.