As a blogger, attending various PR events is quite common nowadays. Companies believe in the power of word-of-mouth, as well as non-traditional media outlets today more than ever. But while some events make you wish you hadn’t left home, others really make you understand why those companies are in the business of PR. Such was definitely the case with Courvoisier Exclusif Mixology event held by the lovely Matchstick team last week.
My friend Diana and I showed up at Hyatt’s Roof Salon after a gruelling day at the office, only to be greeted by friendly smiles and some yummy Sidecar cocktails. Hanging out before the event began, I stared at the CN Tower across the city, looked down at the crazy car jam on Queen’s Park, and felt really freaking lucky to be able to enjoy a nice summer day in good company, cocktail in hand, anticipating something fun to come!
Once we got seated at tables decked out in all types of drink accoutrements (including chili peppers and jam), the event itself started with some dancers dressed in Napoleon-era costumes, with some dude on stilts, who looked more like a pirate rather than the emperor himself, walking around the room, freaking people out. After the bizarre beginning, the educational portion of the event began, where we learned about the flavors of Courvoisier Exclusif and Courvoisier XO – ranging from gingerbread, to coffee, to iris flower. As with the Macallan event, I learned a lot about cognac…and felt a bit more like a real grown up by the end of it.
And while strong liquors were never my cup of tea, the mixology portion of the event proved to be a blast, as well as made me a convert to the aromatic world of Courvoisier. The reason why this event in particular really stuck in my mind, and made me smile throughout, was that we (bloggers, and guests) all got to interact in a fun, interactive setting, mixing drinks, drinking drinks, making fun of each other’s drinks (ahem…there was one cocktail that had bread as a main ingredient…it did not taste good). It was lighthearted, slightly drunken fun.
We met a few cool people at our table, like the boys of the The Panic Manual, and Scott “Evil” McMaster – professional bartender, who couldn’t technically create a drink for us, but did help out with the mixing and advising on the ingredients. After picking the drink that Di and I put together to represent our table, team VSOP was really hoping to be the one to nab the top prize out of the 10 tables present. And guess what? We did! Our drink – Josephine’s Hat – was picked as the judges’ favorite and we did walk away with great prizes (full-size bottles of Courvoisier Exclusif for everyone at the table). High-fives all around!
So not only did we walk away from the event with full knowledge of “the cognac of Napoleon”, but we actually took some home too! Let the experimenting begin! If you are curious to see the recipe of our amazingly delicious concoction, scroll down and click to see more!
So I guess the moral of the story, other than Courvoisier rocks…is that memorable and interactive events make for fun times, and better stories to share with your friends, family, and blog readers. Don’t you think?
And you know what else rocks? Helping others. If you have a couple of minutes, please consider taking this survey. For each survey completed, $2 will be donated to the Redwood Women Shelter.
The recipe for our “award”-winning Courvoisier cocktail is after the jump!
Josephine’s Hat
2 oz Courvoisier Exclusif
1 oz Triple Sec Lime
1 oz Vanilla Galliano
Blueberries
Mint
1 tsp. Strawberry Jam
1tsp. Brown Sugar
Grapefruit Juice to taste
Shaken with ice
Pour into a martini glass (rub some orange peel on the rim)
Slice of grapefruit and some mint to garnish…et voilà! Enjoy responsibly!
