On Monday we had the first meeting of the Austin chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild. The meeting was not as well-attended as we had hoped, but those of us who were there had a jolly time (and since there was a shortage of Cointreau swag, the menos the merrier). Cointreau's brand ambassador and brand mixologist Erin-Elizabeth Williams came to town from New York to share with us a preview of Cointreau's first new product in a hundred years, Cointreau Noir. It is a blend of Cointreau and Remy Martin cognac and it was fabulous getting to taste it with someone of her stature. (An esteemed mixologist as opposed to, say, the "demo dollies" that you find at the liquor store who tell you things like 'Johnnie Walker makes a great Bourbon and Coke', or 'this is the best margarita mix'.)

Cointreau Noir's tagline is "Nothing to Add" and that pretty much sums it up (although I know a few enterprising mixologists who are sure to try...)

In addition to the orange flavors it has floral and vanilla notes, and the process involves macerating walnut skins and almond casings in neutral spirit before distillation. I'm not the best at describing spirits so I will leave that to Paul Pacult, who, incidentally, awards Cointreau five stars--highest recommendation--in his Kindred Spirits, saying that with regard to orange liqueurs, "It is abundantly clear as to which brand is the gold standard." It will interesting to see what he says about the Noir.

At a price in the high $fifties per bottle, this product is aimed at an exclusive market. Cointreau's Williams said that it was not destined for margarita bars and hip hop clubs, but I think if Cassidy could make a hit with "I'm home, get the Patrón, and tell 'em that it's on," the right rapper could put this spirit on the path to ghetto gold (I got a cuppa Noir, five bitchez in th' car). In the meantime, I will be sipping it by the light of my laptop, thinking of all the unlucky bastards who missed our meeting on Monday.

If you want more information about the upcoming October meeting of the USBG Austin chapter, send USBGAustin a message at gmail.