Ginger and Cognac a Natural Marriage
Ginger and ginger ale are often used to complement cognac either as a garnish or as a mixer. The bite in ginger helps bring out the spicy notes in many cognacs.
Indeed, Hennessy touts the Hennessy Ginger (Hennessy V.S.O.P Cognac and ginger ale) , Martell the Ginger Spice (Martell V.S. Cognac, blackberry liqueur, lemon juice and ginger ale), Courvoiser the Midnight in Paris (Courvoiser V.S.O.P. Cognac and ginger ale) and Rémy Martin the Rémy Ginger (Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac, ginger ale and lime).
The idea of creating a liqueur that mixes cognac and ginger was realized by a Chinese company that produced a ginger-flavored liqueur blended with Grand Champagne cognacs from 1992- 1997 named The Original Canton Delicate Ginger Liqueur. Today, Domaine de Canton, the successor to the Original Canton Delicate Ginger Liqueur, is made in in the heart of the Cognac region, near Jarnac France.
Domaine de Canton, LTD describes the creation of its flagship liqueur as being inspired by the “French tradition in which sweet and fresh elixirs were fortified by fine eaux de vie and cognac.” As Grand Marnier blends bitter orange from the French colony of Haiti with cognac, Domaine de Canton blends baby ginger from French colonial Indochine (Vietnam) with cognac. In addition to VSOP and XO Grande Champagne Cognacs and ginger, Domaine de Canton blends eau de vie, Tahitian vanilla beans, Provencal honey, Tunisian ginseng and herbs and spice to create the finished product.
Price: A 750 ML bottle of Dom de Canton will cost about the same price as a similar-sized bottle of Courvoiser or Martell V.S.O.P.
Cocktail Mixing with Dom de Canton
Dom de Canton is 56 proof (28% alcohol). It is not a liqueur for sipping but for mixing. Just as a sidecar can be made easily by adding lemon juice to Cointreau Noir, a simple ginger and Cognac can be made by mixing Domaine de Canton with your favorite V.S. or V.S.O.P. cognac with ice and perhaps a splash of ginger ale. The Domaine de Canton lists a large number of cocktails that can be made with its liqueur, including cognac-based drinks like the Ginger Sidecar that substitutes Dom de Canton for triple sec.
Awards
Domaine de Canton is highly rated, having won the gold medal (best of show) at the 2008, 2013 and 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.