Paola Alberdi, Pritika Swarup, Christie Ferrari, Ximena Kavalekas, Polina Panopoulos, Anggie Bryan, Rachel Love, Monroe Steele, Ria Michelle and more celebrated the U.S. debut of Quintessence by Grand Marnier, the highest expression of the French Maison, presented in a brilliant bespoke decanter by Baccarat.
In the heart of Miami’s Design District, guests gathered at the Baccarat Boutique B Bar & Lounge to be among the first to experience this rare cuvée, Grand Marnier’s rarest and oldest cognac ever created.
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An immersive installation transported attendees into the world of the historic French Maisons, as they embarked on a journey that engaged all five senses.
Beginning with “sound,” guests were invited into a private corridor to commence their journey, which included historic sounds, images, and digital displays to illustrate the history and craftsmanship behind Quintessence. Green Bigaradia orange peels and oak barrel fragments represented the cognac aging process and the “scent” station highlighted how the spirit is intricately built like a fragrance, mirroring the composition of a perfume. The top note of double parfum d’orange lingered in the air, mixed with the base note of Cognac Quintessence – a melding of oak wood, vanilla bourbon, tobacco leaf, and cinnamon bark.
The experience culminated with an exclusive “taste” of Quintessence before guests joined others mingling inside the Baccarat boutique.
The event marked the official U.S. debut of Quintessence, an exquisite spirit paying homage to Grand Marnier’s exalted history with hors d’âge cognacs exclusively selected from Grande Champagne and carefully aged in Paradis, from the personal reserves of the Marnier-Lapostolle family cellar. Quintessence demonstrates how the most complex flavors can be derived from seemingly the simplest of combinations: cognac, orange essence, wood, and time.
Complementing the exceptional quality of the liquid is a unique, mouthblown decanter, handmade by Baccarat’s masterful artisans and inspired by the iconic original bottle of Grand Marnier made centuries ago. Like the completion of a perfect circle, the two historic brand houses have come together once more to reignite their timeless passion for French excellence.
Quintessence is a tribute to the origins of Grand Marnier, a masterpiece elevating the assemblage of cognac and bigaradia orange to its ultimate expression. It showcases the rarest and oldest hors d’âge Cognacs. Each was exclusively selected from Grande Champagne and carefully aged in Paradis, the personal reserves of the Marnier Lapostolle family cellar. Raguenaud then added the finest Bigaradia orange peels, double-distilled to ensure an intensity of flavors, drawing upon instincts honed from his nearly two decades at the house. This painstaking double-distillation and careful work yields a rich, smooth vintage liquid, with dry fruits facets of apricot and walnut, underlined by a warm dark vanilla base.
Inspired by luxury and distinction, Grand Marnier was founded in 1880, when Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle began stirring Citrus Bigaradia, the bitter aromatic orange – a rare treasure in Europe with refined French cognac. By blending the cognac with the essence of citrus, he established a way to preserve a captivating yet fleeting fragrance that gave permanence to a passing sensory impression.
Citrus Bigaradia continues to enchant and inspire Grand Marnier’s makers today, including Historic Master Blender Patrick Raguenaud who looked to the Maison’s archives for the creation of Quintessence. There, he found an old recipe where the Bigaradia orange was macerated in Cognac and used it to create Quintessence.
Grande Cuvée Quintessence is the essence of the exceptional. Complementing the quality of the liquid is a decanter handmade by Baccarat, inspired by the iconic original bottle of Grand Marnier made centuries ago. Like the completion of a perfect circle, the two historic brand houses have come together once more to reignite their timeless passion for French excellence.
Made by Baccarat’s masterful artisans, each decanter is unique and mouthblown at 1450 degrees. It features a hypnotic, never-ending twist that plunges into the unrivalled elegance of the rarest cognac adorned with a hand-made stopper.
An exclusive collection that will only be available at fine retailers in selective markets in 2022, only 1,000 bottles will be available worldwide the first year.
“It’s a rare experience to drink this, even to imagine this kind of cognac is rare. The sensation, the feeling, the perception of what you smell, it is unforgettable,” said Raguenaud. “When you blend for Quintessence, you blend a heritage.”
Photography courtesy of Joe Schildhorn, BFA
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