A New Year’s Resolution: Drink More Armagnac
If you aren’t sure already just from my headline that you should drink more Armagnac, the lesser known cousin to Cognac, this year, be sure and check out a recent article, "Out of the Barn and Into the Snifter," from the New York Times. It details the work of one French family from the Gascon region where Armagnac comes from, the Darrozes, who don’t actually grow grapes, or make wine or spirits, but who are responsible for getting most of the region’s favorite drink to the world, by distributing product from many, many local farmers. If you’re not familiar with Armagnac, this description in the article is a good introduction: “‘If Cognac is feminine,’ Marc said, ‘Armagnac is masculine, dense, powerful, individualistic, reeking of terroir.’ He meant not that it tastes rough or raw, but that its origins are earthier, more present in the glass than in its counterpart.” Though the phrase “labor of love” is thrown around today like so much cheap liquor, the article details how apt it is in this situation, due to the immense care and time given by both the farmers and the Darrozes to ensure that the end result, the Armagnac itself, keeps at a high standard and makes its way to the public. With all this in mind, isn’t it time you tasted this end result? Or, if already a drinker of Armagnac, isn’t it time you introduced it to a friend? These are the kind of resolutions I can really get behind, and you should too.
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