We love these classy cognac cocktail recipes

Cognac is a delicious French spirit, a type of brandy that is made from selected grapes and has a fine, nuanced flavor. As a luxury spirit, though, it can be a little intimidating to work with — especially as it is most often sipped neat, in its own special cognac glass no less.

However, cognac also makes for great cocktails. Its grape base makes it a natural fit with Champagne, but you needn’t be too fussy when creating a mixed drink using cognac. Instead, the brand Courvoisier offers two dead simple cognac cocktails which highlight the classy sophistication of the spirit but don’t require a lot of fuss to prepare.

There’s an Old Fashioned, which is a great way to enjoy a wide range of spirits from whiskey to rum, and of course cognac too. It just involves adding a touch of simple syrup and some bitters to let the flavors of the cognac shine. And there’s also the simple cognac and ginger, which uses ginger ale to pick up spicy notes in the cognac in an easy to enjoy way.

So don’t be scared of cognac — try it out in cocktails and you might just become a convert.

Courvoisier Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Courvoisier VSOP
• Simple Syrup
• Orange Bitters

Method:

1. Build all ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass
2. Add one large ice cube
3. Stir
4. Garnish with a large orange peel

Courvoisier & Ginger

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Courvoisier VS
• 3 parts Ginger Ale

Method:

1. Pour Courvoisier into a high ball glass
2. Fill with ice
3. Top with soda
4. Finish with a slice of lemon