When it comes to cocktails, consumers and professionals alike fall into old habits. We lean on perennial favorites like gin and tonic, old fashioned, and vodka soda, and even when we get fancy, the spirits are variations on a theme. But the world of cocktails is full of hidden gems, and Pineau des Charentes is one of them. It is so hidden, in fact, that most Americans have yet to discover it and have no idea how to use it or what to expect. That is a shame, because enjoying Pineau des Charentes is stupid simple. First, let’s talk about what it is. Made from fresh grape must and young Cognac, it sits between wine and spirit, though the appellation classifies it as a wine. Because of the grape must, this oak-aged liqueur wine is low in alcohol compared to spirits, at about 17%.
Who is Résidence Spirits?
Résidence is the project of Mathieu Leboeuf and his wife, Tamiko. Mathieu grew up in Charentes, surrounded by vineyards, small copper stills, and generations of distilling knowledge. Tamiko grew up in Australia with Sri Lankan family traditions, and brings a different vocabulary of spice, freshness, and flavor to the house. Their credo is to innovate with respect for tradition.
Everything they make is distilled in Charentes, in small batches, from organic ingredients. The range is short: an organic gin (93 points from Wine Enthusiast), a V.S.O.P. organic Cognac (92 points, and one of Wine Enthusiast’s 100 Best Spirits of 2023), and the Pineau. Mathieu and Tamiko farm with agro-ecological principles, which means they pay attention to soil health, biodiversity, and the people who farm and distill the raw ingredients.
Pineau des Charentes as a style
The legend is that toward the end of the 16th century, a Charentais winemaker poured grape must into a barrel that still held Cognac eau-de-vie. Years later he opened it and Pineau des Charentes was born. Whether or not it happened that way, that method of making Pineau has not changed much in the ensuing centuries.
Fresh grape must is fortified with Cognac eau-de-vie that is at least one year old and at least 60% alcohol. The spirit halts fermentation, which keeps the natural grape sugar in the wine. The blend then ages in oak. Pineau des Charentes received its AOC in 1945, the first fortified wine in France to do so. The rules are tight: the must and the eau-de-vie have to come from the same estate, and the Pineau has to be bottled in the region.
Résidence’s Pineau is made from organically farmed Montils, Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard, grown on clay-limestone soils where sea air wafts across the vineyards. The must is fortified with one-year-old Cognac eau-de-vie and aged a minimum of five years in 350-liter used Cognac barrels. It lands at 17.2% alcohol with 150 grams per liter of residual sugar.
In the glass, it is floral and lifted, with rose, woodland botanicals, and a little spice. The palate is silky and round, with vivid acidity holding up all that sugar, and layers of toasted pastry, dried fruit, and clafoutis. Serve it between 46 and 50°F as an apéritif, or alongside blue cheese, pâté, stone fruit tarts, or lightly spiced dishes.
Four simple cocktails
In the Cognac region, Pineau is often served long with tonic. It makes sense. The sweetness needs a little bitterness and bubbles, and Résidence’s acidity handles dilution well. We have four delicious, easy-to-make cocktails that take about thirty seconds to make.
Want these at the bar or on the shelf? Download the Pineau cocktail recipe cards. A printable PDF with all four drinks.
Pineau and soda
Pour 2 oz. Résidence Spirits Pineau des Charentes over ice and top with 2 oz. seltzer. Garnish with a lemon twist.
The simplest option to make. The lemon twist sharpens the pastry and dried fruit notes.
Pineau and tonic
Fill a glass with ice. Add 2 oz. Résidence Spirits Pineau des Charentes and top with 3½ oz. tonic. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
A grown-up cousin of the gin and tonic, with the tonic’s bitterness set against the Pineau’s sweetness. The grapefruit slice bridges the two notes.
Pineau and rye
Combine 1 oz. Résidence Spirits Pineau des Charentes with 1 oz. rye whiskey. Serve on the rocks and garnish with an orange twist.
Rye brings spice and grip, and the Pineau rounds it off with honeyed fruit. It is a good first cocktail for a whiskey drinker who says they do not like sweet drinks.
Pineau spritz
Fill a coupe glass with ice and combine 2 oz. Résidence Spirits Pineau des Charentes with 2 oz. Clara Vie Blanquette de Limoux Brut Nature and a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of orange.
The dry, crisp Blanquette keeps the drink from getting heavy. A good pour for anyone who wants an Aperol spritz without the Aperol.
For the list
A 17.2% base lets a bar build lower-alcohol drinks without needing to retrain your staff. One bottle covers an apéritif, a spritz, a highball, and a rocks drink. It also sips well on its own with cheese or dessert.
