Bisquit VSOP Mint Julep She was born to a destitute mother, lived in the slums of St Louis, and made a living dancing on street corners. Against all odds, Josephine Baker hoisted herself out of poverty and rose to become one of the most celebrated performers of her time.
Inducted posthumously into the French Panthéon last year, Baker was a superstar, who achieved what few black women of the time ever could: personal autonomy and independent wealth, which she used to help others.
She broke the rules, challenged her birth country’s segregationist policies, was a key figure in the French underground during the Nazi occupation of World War II, and became a heroine of the Civil Rights movement to boot.
The woman known in Europe as the “Black Venus” and the “Siren of the Resistance” was destined for stardom: By the age of 13, she travelled to New York, where her undeniable talent catapulted her onto Broadway. Having reached her goals in the Big Apple’s theatres, aged 19, the exotic dancer, singer and actress, travelled to Paris and never looked back as she clowned her way into the heart of les Années folles, the French equivalent of the Roaring Twenties.
In November last year, Baker was inducted into the French Panthéon – revered as the temple to the French nation – the first black woman to grace the hallowed monument, among such figures as Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and other luminaries.
A muse for the likes of Picasso, Hemingway, EE Cummings and Alexander Calder, Baker was also an aficionada of Bisquit Cognac, with her own bespoke blend, the Joséphine, crafted specially by the Bisquit & Dubouché founding family.
Rebranded in 2021 as Bisquit & Dubouché (B&D) after the celebrated brand’s two fearless founders, Alexandre Bisquit and Adrien Dubouché, B&D V.S.O.P (Very Superior Old Pale) is an exceptional Cognac, slowly matured for at least four years from selected eaux-de-vie, and double distilled in traditional Charentais copper pot stills before ageing in French oak barrels for at least four years. B&D’s master craftsmen produce a premium Cognac that is rich, fruity and smooth, with expressive notes of apricot, honey and citrus and subtle aromas of vanilla and caramel.
The bottle has been given a sleek, bold new design, while retaining the brand’s signature griffin – the legendary half-lion, half-eagle spirit animal of the B&D dynasty representing strength and power.
To mark the anniversary of her induction into the French Panthéon, the team at B&D V.S.O.P Cognac has crafted a few cocktails, fit for an artist of Baker’s stature.
Traditionally enjoyed neat or on the rocks, B&D V.S.O.P Cognac is aromatic, smooth and mellow.
It is also flawless in cocktails, with citrus, fresh herbs and other mixers.
The Barbotage
The Barbotage is an orange-flavoured Champagne cocktail, like a mimosa, but it gets the flavour from Grand Marnier liqueur rather than from orange juice.
Ingredients:
1 tot (15ml) B&D V.S.O.P
1 tot (15ml) Grand Marnier
Lallier Brut Champagne
Garnish:
Orange or lemon rind
Method
- Pour B&D V.S.O.P and Grand Marnier into a flute and top with ice cold Champagne.
- Garnish with either orange or lemon rind.
The French 75
This elegant Prosecco cocktail calls for Cognac as the base, which was the original spirit used in the Roaring Twenties.
Ingredients:
44ml B&D V.S.O.P
11ml simple syrup
11ml lemon juice
Cinzano Prosecco
Ice cubes
Garnish:
Lemon rind
Method:
- Shake B&D V.S.O.P, lemon juice and simple syrup with ice and strain into a chilled Champagne flute.
- Top up slowly with Cinzano Prosecco and garnish with a twist of lemon rind.
Grand Sidecar:
The origin of the Sidecar is uncertain, but it is thought to have been invented in the early 1920s, in either London or Paris. Named for the motorcycle sidecar, which was commonly used at the time, the Ritz Hotel in Paris lays claim to the original recipe.
Ingredients:
50ml B&D V.S.O.P
20ml Grand Marnier
20ml lemon juice
Ice cubes
Garnish:
Orange peel
Maraschino cherries, soaked in B&D V.S.O.P and Grand Marnier (optional)
Method:
- Chill a coupe glass.
- Add ice cubes, B&D V.S.O.P, Grand Marnier and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a shaker.
- Shake until chilled.
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with orange peel and serve.
Variation:
Add a few marinated maraschino cherries for a pop of colour and texture.
Mint Julep
Ingredients:
65ml B&D V.S.O.P
10 mint leaves
12.5ml sugar syrup (prepared at a ratio of 2:1)
Ice – cubes and crushed
Garnish:
Large sprig of mint
Method:
- Shake the B&D V.S.O.P, mint leaves and sugar syrup with ice cubes and strain into a highball glass or julep tin filled with crushed ice.
- Churn gently with a long-handled spoon and top with more crushed ice.
- Garnish and serve.
B&D Old Fashioned
This is a variation of the classic Old Fashioned, which is made using bourbon or whiskey, because fruit-based Cognac has a brighter flavour and a softer touch than grain-based spirits. Cognac lends itself to mixers, whether soda water, iced tea, wine, aromatic bitters or ginger ale.
Ingredients:
50ml B&D V.S.O.P
1 tot (15ml) simple syrup
2 dashes bitters
Ice cubes
Garnish:
Orange peel twist
Method:
- Drop bitters into a tumbler / Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
- Add a splash of simple syrup.
- Pour in B&D V.S.O.P.
- Garnish and serve.
B&D GINGER
This drink is simple to prepare and refreshing on a warm summer’s day. Don’t be deceived by the simplicity of this cocktail: The ginger’s spiciness helps to bring out all the individual flavours, from the fresh citrus to the warm and fruity Cognac.
Ingredients:
44ml B&D V.S.O.P
100ml ginger ale
Squeeze of lemon
Ice cubes
Garnish:
Twist of lemon or lime rind
Method:
- Pour B&D V.S.O.P into a highball glass over ice cubes.
- Top with ginger ale.
- Twist lemon peel or lime rind over the drink and carefully place the citrus twist inside the glass.
- Serve.
Website: https://www.bisquitdubouche.com/en/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bisquitafrica/
Twitter: Bisquit Africa - @BisquitAfrica
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BisquitDubouche/ DM/ML