Cognac

Rave Reviews For Cognac"An enthralling volume. . . . a compelling story, not just about the world's best-known eau-de-vie, but about the people who make it and the often violent history of the remarkable but little-known region of France from which it comes."--Frank J. Prial, wine critic, The New York Times"Kyle Jarrard has turned his fine eye and writer's skill to the subject of Cognac, that most elegant of all the spirits. . . . While rich in history and admirable scholarship, Cognac really appeals because of Kyle's personal and anecdotal sketches. It's a fine grande champagne of a book, to be savored over and over."--Patricia Wells, author of The Food Lover's Guide to Paris"Having read the wonderful book by Kyle Jarrard about Cognac, an anecdote immediately springs to mind. . . . Here now, are the two gems of our cellars, two very rare flasks; these two bottles of Napoleon brandy are the very ones that Andre Terrail used to take legitimate pride in. . . . True, alas, there is only one left. The other one was stolen by Pierpont Morgan and replaced with a letter of excuse and a blank check, which Andre Terrail just sent back. That's how the cellars of the Tour d'Argent are perhaps the only place in the world where a billionaire has ever staged a holdup."--Claude Terrail, restaurateur, La Tour d'Argent, Paris"Kyle Jarrard has written an authoritative and exquisitely detailed word portrait of Cognac, both the geographic region . . . and the seductive golden spirit that is its most renowned product. This is a book for lovers of both, and for all those who understand that food and drink are not just something to enjoy around the table but a true expression of history, geography, culture, and humanity."--Nancy Harmon Jenkins, nationally known food writer and author of The Essential Mediterranean"An intoxicating tale of Cognac, as rich and rewarding as a sip of the amber liquid itself. The people, places, and intensely French history that created this magnificent drink come alive. . . . Readers will be sorry when they've finished the bottle Jarrard serves up so elegantly."--David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post, and author of A Firing Offense and The Sun King