The Berry Split, a cognac cocktail for the summer by Guillaume Le Dorner

By Marie-France 10.08.2023

Guillaume Le Dorner and the Appellation Cognac have created a cognac cocktail for the summer, the Berry Split.

Refresh your palate this summer with the Berry Split cognac cocktail, designed by the mixologist of the Luciole bar in Cognac Guillaume Le Dorner.

The wide aromatic palette of cognacs is full of surprises, appealing to the senses and to the memory. For the eye, the nose or the palate, tasting a brandy calls for subtlety and finesse.

There is a great diversity of cognacs, and each one has its own personality. This is revealed when one takes the time to observe the color of the spirit, its appearance, smell its aromas and then taste it.

The Berry Split cognac cocktail

To the palate, aromas of strawberries and lemon, a fresh and mouthful cocktail perfect for the summer.

The cognac cocktail “Berry Split” is a recipe created especially for the summer and on the menu of the Luciole bar in Cognac.

The choice of Cognac is essential. Rather young cognacs are preferred – VS* type – to give the fruits and the brandy the best part. Two types of acidifiers are used in the recipe: lemon juice and verjuice. The verjuice is a grape juice from early harvest, which contains a large amount of malic acid. Lemon juice contains citric acid. The addition of these two ingredients allows for a nice balance and control of the flavors.

*VS cognac: VS or Very Special cognac includes cognacs that have been aged in oak barrels for at least two years.

berry split - cocktail au cognac - cognac cocktail

Ingredients

VS Cognac 40ml

Verjus 15ml – sold in bottles in supermarkets or delicatessens

Lemon juice 15ml

Strawberry syrup 15ml *

Some ice cubes

*If you want to make the strawberry syrup:

Ingredients

500ml water

755gr of classic strawberries

250gr of gariguette strawberries

2,5gr of sil timur pepper

Utensils

To prepare the Berry Split, you will need:

1 Shaker

1 Stemmed glass

1 Strainer

*To make the strawberry syrup, you will also need :

– Knife
– Puree masher
– Bowl
– Saucepan
– Fine strainer
– Vacuum bag
– Empty bottle

Preparation

In a shaker, pour the Cognac, the lemon juice, the strawberry syrup* and the verjuice.

Add the ice cubes. Shake for a few moments. Pour into a glass with a stem, straining the preparation.

*For the homemade strawberry syrup:

Prepare the strawberries. Cut them into quarters and let them soak in sugar for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Add the crushed sil-timur pepper to the mixture of strawberries and sugar.

Put it all in a vacuum bag and cook for 30 min at 60°C in a water bath. Crush the strawberries halfway through cooking. Check that all the sugar is dissolved and filter the mixture with a fine sieve. Bottle and close. The syrup will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator.

About Guillaume Le Dorner

Bartender for many years in England, Guillaume decided to settle on the banks of the Charente, in Cognac, and open the Luciole bar in 2017. An expert in mixology, Guillaume shares his love of Cognac-based cocktails behind the bar of his establishment and at trade shows.

Would you like to visit Bar Luciole?

For spirits lovers who want to discover Cognac in a creative and fun way, the Luciole bar offers a unique experience “The Discovery of Cognac in cocktails”: get behind the bar and create your own cocktails for an afternoon with the help and advice of experts in the field. You will learn all the secrets and techniques of making Cognac!

Bar Luciole

14 Place du Solencon, 16100 Cognac

Tel : 05.45.81.70.11

@bar_luciole

Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.