The best innovative spirits bring familiar flavors together so that people can experience them in a new way. That may explain why creative sparks were flying when Hedonist Spirits founder Jean-Marc Larhantec visited the Philippines to introduce bartenders and media to Hedonist liqueur, a cognac-based spirit with natural ginger and hints of Madagascar vanilla.
Brittany-born Larhantec was an advertising executive who ran his own company in Paris. He indulged his passion for blending his own spirits by serving his creations to his clients from luxury brands. A director at Louis Vuitton loved an early version of Hedonist served with champagne, ice, and lime so much that she asked him if she could serve it to guests at an upcoming fashion show.
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The warm reception from friends and a Top 3 finish in the Best New Products category at the 2012 Cocktails Spirits Paris encouraged him to leave advertising behind and focus on producing his own super premium liqueur under Hedonist Spirits. “I consider myself a liquid chef,” he says. “I do spirits I myself want to drink.”
Hedonist is only available in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and now the Philippines. It’s set to launch in the U.S. later this year, though Larhantec recently fulfilled a special order from Method Man of the Wu Tang Clan, who requested 600 bottles of Hedonist for a party for 800 people. “Method Man, Redman, guys from De La Soul—they love the product,” he says.
The name Hedonist suggests a single-minded pursuit of pleasure—when used to describe someone’s alcohol consumption, it usually brings to mind wild partying and some form of shots. Thankfully, sampling Hedonist liqueur was a much more refined experience. The cognac is a blend of 35 eaux-de-vies from Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne, and Borderies. Ginger roots from Madagascar are cooked with sugar grapes and infused in a cognac. The filtered, ginger-infused cognac is then infused again with vanilla pods. The mixture is finished in cognac XO bottles for four to five months before it’s bottled and sold.
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Participants of the Hedonist masterclass, conducted at 210 Degrees Kitchen + Drinkery in partnership with distributor AWC Philippines, tried Hedonist served three different ways:
Hedonist Bang – This is just a straight up 30 ml sample. It’s best served in a tulip-shaped glass to appreciate the full impact of the spirit’s ginger and spice aromas. What struck me was how syrupy the liquid was on the palate—the texture highlighted its sweetness. There’s also a nice lingering, warm finish that doesn’t turn into a harsh burn—with an ABV of only 29 percent, Hedonist is light and approachable when sipped straight. Larhantec says that the sugar from ugni blanc grapes (from which most cognac is made) won’t give you a headache.
Hedonist Rock Me – Hedonist on the rocks with fresh lime. The fresh ginger and vanilla in Hedonist draw out and heighten the flavors that are typically already found in cognac. The acidity in the squeeze of fresh lime balanced the sweetness of the vanilla and the fruitiness of the cognac.
Hedonist Spritz – Hedonist with ice cubes, sparkling wine, soda water, fresh lime, and mint leaves. The bubbles in this spritz combined with the spicy root ginger of the liqueur to create a cool and refreshing drink fit for a swelteringly hot day.
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Hedonist’s unique ginger-vanilla-cognac flavor profile holds up well in cocktails. (Many fans use the hashtag #behedonist to share the drinks they’ve made with the liqueur on social media.) This made me curious about how substituting Hedonist for ginger ale or ginger syrup would change a well-known cocktail like a Moscow mule or a Penicillin. The bartenders around me were inspired, too. Before I could even snap a photo of the product in natural light, all six bottles reserved for the class were wiped out. Alas, like the best pleasures, this one was fleeting. But based on some of the conversations that Laharntec was having with some of Manila’s best bartenders, there’ll be more Hedonist cocktails to look forward to in the future.
Hedonist retails for P1450 and is exclusively distributed by AWC Philippines. For updates on the product follow @behedonist on Instagram
