Pan welcome for cognac

The sound of pan welcomed one of the world’s oldest cognac brands to TT when Massy Distribution, in conjunction with Pernod Ricard, hosted the launch of Martell Cognac at Level 2 of the Entertainment Building, One Woodbrook Place in Woodbrook.

Guests were treated to dishes made by Bouffage Catering with vegetables, tuna and lamb – all infused with Martell cognac, in addition to complimentary samplings of the two cognac blends now available at supermarkets and liquor stores, Martell Blue Swift and Martell VS Single Distillery, said a media release.

Guests were also encouraged by MC Ancil “Blaze” Isaac to have some fun by taking shots at a basketball ring installed indoors by decorator Tonya Jaggassar Events, while others had their caricature’s drawn by local artist Ellij Nicholas.

DJ Nic Pena kept the gathering festive and fun between the live performances and the Martell cocktail station allowed guests to commission several mixologists to create their own cocktails on using Martell cognac as the base ingredient.

The event on October 30 also saw Massy Trinidad All Stars’ pannist Dane Gulston showcasing the national instrument for Pernod Ricard brand manager Gabriel Figuero, who is visiting for the first time. Also, soca star Nesta “Sekon Sta” Boxhill performed his most popular and recent Carnival releases, much to the delight of the guests.

In the lone formal address, Massy’s head of the wines and spirits division Ross Cabral briefly addressed the gathering to share information about the Martell brand.

He said: “For three centuries, Martell has produced, exported and marketed cognacs which are recognised worldwide for their outstanding quality and finesse. With such a rich history, Massy Distribution, in partnership with Pernod Ricard, are proud to introduce Martell in TT.

"As one of the oldest of the great cognac houses, Martell has always celebrated audacious ideas and pushed the limits to create some of the most bold and smooth flavours in cognac.”

Comparing the courage and curiosity of the Martell brand to the innovative and visionary spirit present at Massy, Cabral revealed the brand’s intention to collaborate with local innovators in the coming months.

“Martell believes in curiosity…as many of the great and amazing discoveries of our time thus far have indeed been born out of sheer curiosity – there’s so much to see when you look beyond appearances. Martell has always challenged the obvious and that’s why it has been able to open new perspectives. In continuing the theme of celebrating curiosity, with creative visionaries who aim to leave a lasting legacy, Martell will be supporting local talents across various fields and categories who inspire others to push the culture forward.”

Massy’s plans to collaborate with industry stakeholders to launch a national safe driving campaign earned nods from the audience.