WHERE ARE THE COGNAC LOUNGES, WHO IS DOING IT AND WHAT IS GOING ON?

As I am meeting many bar and restaurant managers I am sensing people are looking for new ways to set themselves apart. Ways which may include the largest menus, the most expensive place, the trendiest place, the biggest place, the most awarded place, the best location, etc... Recently, many places have started what I would call the "speakeasy revival". That means going back to the roots of the liquor, night life and bar industry. In addition, to this trend comes the craft, artisanal and boutique spirits trend which is also growing quickly. I forecast the combination of all of the above set the trend for theme bars with some bars specializing in clear spirits, other in brown spirits, sooner or later we may see bars focusing on fruit spirits versus grain spirits.

Another side trend might be to develop flights where people sample different products of different categories versus products from the same category but different brands and so forth. This is an exciting time in this industry and one to see many opportunities.

Hence, the slow but evident growing number of Cognac Lounges in the world is giving credence to my forecasts.

In 2013, two lounges opened in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

1. The restaurant Guy Savoy inside Caesars Palace Las Vegas debuted its Cognac Lounge with an extensive cognac menu, many of which can only be found at the restaurant. The menu will evolve as Restaurant Guy Savoy acquires other bottles.

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

2. In the Monte Carlo Las Vegas upstairs from Andre's Restaurant is the Cigar & Cognac Lounge, a world of intimate lighting, rich leather, the glow of the fireplace capturing a glint of amber cognac in a glass and the seductive aroma of fine cigars. The Lounge has a great selection of rare Cognacs and Armagnacs in stunning bottles—some from as early as 1802.

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

3. Another cognac lounge is the Cool River Cafe in three locations: Austin, Dallas and Denver. The idea behind "cool river" is to create a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves with a board game or just sit back in a comfortable leather lounger and forget their worldly cares.

Cool River Cafe Cognac Lounge in Austin, Dallas and Denver

4. Few bars in Los Angeles enjoy the fame of the Biltmore's Gallery Bar. It has long been considered one of the best hotel bars in downtown Los Angeles, because its long list of signature martinis, fine wines and exclusive liqueurs. Sip your delicious choice of cocktail along one of the secluded leather banquettes, or retire to the adjacent Cognac Room with its soft couches and wooden cabinets, filled with Biltmore memorabilia. Not many people know it has a cognac room and this should change!

Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles Cognac Room

5. The Brandy Library on 25 N. Moore Street, Tribeca, New York is well know for its huge selections of cognac. It is both a library and a bar, hence the name.

Brandy Library in New York

6. Cognac in Atlanta: the “XO Bar” at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta is a cognac bar. Hotel bars typically do not have great personality. So when IHG was planning a signature lounge space in the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, the idea was to put some soul into it, according to Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, IHG’s Vice President of Food & Beverage for the Americas.

It was his first project as VP, and he decided to conceptualize the bar around a single spirit. After some research and consideration of the market, the choice was cognac. Today the hotel’s XO bar offers more than 60 different labels of cognac. “We have very affordable cognac to very unaffordable cognac — a $500 shot or a $10,000 bottle,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray.

XO Bar in Atlanta Intercontinental Hotel

Of all places, one would imagine China to be leading the pack in terms of cognac restaurants and bars. They might in volume but for some reasons they do not seem to claim the image of cognac bars as much as the above examples, with the exception of two bars from the Ritz-Carlton group.

7. The OZONE BAR at the Ritz-Carlton, in Hong Kong.

Ozone Bar Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

8. The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Lobby Bar in China.

Portman Bar in the Ritz-Carlton in Shangai

9. The Baudelaire Bar, in the Burgundy Hotel in Paris. France only accounts for 1% of the cognac consumption and my guess is that 90% of this 1% is consumed by tourists! However, this bar is perhaps setting the trend and changing the attitude. Go Paris!

Baudelaire Bar in Burgundy Hotel in Paris

Sources:
andrelv.com
caesarpalace.com
coolrivercafe.com
leburgundy.com
millenniumhotels.com
montecarlo.com
ritzcarlton.com