mart-pool As any luxury brand knows, a little pomp-and-circumstance goes a long way when presenting a new product to the world… especially if its aimed at catching the eye of the everyday person. Everyone wants to feel they can buy a piece of clothing, car, food or drink that transports them into the land of Lords and Ladies. When skillfully executed, its really quite impressive to watch.The prestigious Martell Cognac house, founded in 1715, launched its newest expression in California amidst gussied-up celebrities (Andy Garcia was the featured "Icon of Caractere" guest), a band of mixology-driven bartenders and an impressive venue atop a hill overlooking the sparkling City of Angels, below. Passed hors d’oeuvres circulated and a super-model looking DJ spun tunes, whilst flash bulbs popped along the step-and-repeat and everyone was made to feel like a Hollywood VIP from the moment a privates shuttle whisked us up from the plebeian parking area until the end of the sit-down dinner and entertainment. Martell Caractere Launch Event While checking out the space and the new bottle on display, I met one of the French marketing executives who was delighted to hear that I had actually visited the Martell distillery in Cognac, a few years ago, and gave me a bit of the rundown. Basically, from in-between his charming French talking points, this is what I gleaned…The new product is named the French word “Caractere” in tribute to the adventurous and entrepreneurial character Jean Martell, founder of Martell Cognac, nearly 300 years ago. It is a blend of distillates somewhere between 3 – 5 years old, which means it essentially falls between V.S. and V.S.O.P. (In Cognac terms, V.S. means that the youngest distillate in the blend is 2 years old, and V.S.O.P. means that the youngest one is 4 years old.) The price runs about $35 per bottle, retail. Ultimately, it’s a far cry from the snooty image of stuffy old aristocrats puffing on cigars whilst sipping cognac in some old world chateau.Here’s what all of the above translates to, in my mind…Its no secret that Cognac’s biggest success in the United States has been with what is referred to in marketing as the “urban crowd.” Essentially, rappers, hipster celebrities – and in particular influential, affluent African Americans - have embraced Cognac and glorified it in songs, music videos, and the like, making it one of the hottest, coolest spirits on the market. Even expensive cognac is rarely sipped neat in nightclubs. Its most often mixed with juices or coca-cola, and seen as a status highball. What Martell Caractere brings to da club is a less-aged, lower-priced, accessible cognac that is more or less designed to produced in volume and therefore applicable in bottle service or cocktails. Caractere Blush Cocktail I always try new spirits neat, rather than in cocktails, so I can get an idea of what it is. Martell Caractere is tasty, very “sippable” alone, and I can imagine it making a nice classic Sidecar, for example, which is a simple sour cocktail consisting of cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Because the base spirit isn’t crazy expensive, it is also great to use on any cocktail menu wanting to follow the current trend of less-intimidatingly priced craft cocktails.On the other hand, if a girl’s not giving you the time of day, it’s easy to assume she’s just not that interested. But this is perhaps the single biggest mistake men make. Most men have a terrible ability to gauge if a woman is really interested in them. There are many signs she likes you.Ultimately, I am in favor of any company who pays attention to its customers’ needs and desires… both the bars and the consumers. Despite its luxury image and high-brow French marketing team, Martell serves all its clientele from fancy-pants mixologists to the partying nightclub crowd. It is not trying to tell customers how to drink their product or pay through the nose to get it. They watch, listen, and create something that fills a need for their consumers. That, to me, is a mark of fine "caractere"…