A rare luxury

It was a night of rare luxury when Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac from the House of Rémy Martin feted cognac enthusiasts in an exclusive dinner party held at the Presidential Salon of the historic Manila Hotel.

Louis XIII uses only grapes from the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France and is specially blended from 1,200 eaux-de-vie and further aged in oak barrels. It is placed in special crystal decanters exclusively handcrafted by Baccarat.

Prior to the dinner, a special cocktail reception was held at the poolside of the 18th Floor and a tour of the Presidential Suite was conducted for the guests. Served next was the dinner that replicated the original inaugural menu of 1912 when Manila Hotel first opened its doors. The menu, prepared by executive chef Konrad Walter, featured sauteed foie gras, apple-walnut chutney and arugula balanced by Rémy Martin VSOP. It was followed by Smoked Tomato Soup with Cheese Beignets. Then came the Lobster in Sauce Fines Herbes and Chateau of Baby Vegetables paired with white wine. The main course was Braised Beef Short Ribs in Merlot, Whipped Potato Purée with Truffle Oil, Shallots and Roasted French Beans complemented by Rémy XO served neat. Dessert was Almond Gâteau, French vanilla ice cream and strawberry compote.

The evening’s most anticipated moment was a sampling of Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac. While guests were savoring the moment, Louis XIII regional director Christophe Bourrie talked on how to best appreciate this rare luxury cognac.

Amidst the lively conversations, commercial manager of Rémy Cointreau Brands Philippines Joey Pineda enthused, “I find it incredibly auspicious that Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac is meticulously blended by three generations of cellar masters taking as much as a century to perfect… literally a century in every bottle. And here we are as we also toast Manila Hotel on its 101st anniversary… talk about serendipity!”