As in the title, the hook shouts out to a major brand of the old school French brandy, cognac, produced in the region of the same name. In addition to Diddy and Busta Rhymes, the Courvoisier company website claims that the drink was also a favorite of Napoleon:

The origin of our history goes back to the beginning of the 19th century with Emmanuel Courvoisier and his associate, Louis Gallois, running a wine and spirit merchant company, in the Parisian suburb of Bercy. In 1811 Napoleon visited their warehouses in Bercy and he was hosted by Louis Gallois, the Mayor, and Emmanuel Courvoisier. Legend has it that Napoleon I later took several barrels of cognac with him to St Helena, a treat much appreciated by the English officers on the ship who named it ‘The Cognac of Napoleon’.

NPR reports that the release of this track is actually credited with a global comeback for the cognac industry, which had been slumping at this time. In fact, “Pass the Courvoisier” initiated a long-standing partnership between rap artists and the cognac industry, with some rappers even selling their own labels of the French brandy.

In his performances as Leon Phelps in the Saturday Night Live skit “Ladies Man,” though, Tim Meadows reminds us that African American obsession with Courvoisier, and cognac more generally, is older than hip hop and in fact dates back to the 1970s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag9HvdWpqlk

The name maraschino comes from the marasca cherry of Croatian origin and the the liquor derived from it. In fact, so-called maraschino cherries purchased today are made from a wide range of varieties of cherries. In 1940, the FDA redefined maraschino to describe the process rather than the type of cherry (see Compliance Policy Guidelines Sec. 550.550):

The term “Maraschino Cherries” is regarded as the common or usual name of an article consisting of cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.

During Prohibition, maraschino cherries ceased to be preserved in maraschino liquor. Dr. Ernest H. Wiegand, a horticulturist at Oregon State University, developed a new brining method using sodium metabisulfite.

Gin is a spirit distilled from juniper berries—the word “gin” is derived from the Dutch word for the berry, jenever. Though now one of the most popular spirits on the market, juniper-derived spirits date back to the middle ages when they were consumed for medicinal reasons, used in Italy, for example, as a remedy for the Black Death. A Dutch physician by the name of Franciscus Sylvius is considered the first distiller of modern gin.

The European Union defines “English,” or London, gin as:

• obtained exclusively from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, with a maximum methanol content of 5 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol, whose flavour is introduced exclusively through the re-distillation in traditional stills of ethyl alcohol in the presence of all the natural plant materials used,

• the resultant distillate of which contains at least 70 % alcohol by vol.,

• where any further ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin is added it must be consistent with the characteristics listed in Annex I(1), but with a maximum methanol content of 5 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol,

• which does not contain added sweetening exceeding 0,1 gram of sugars per litre of the final product nor colorants,

• which does not contain any other added ingredients other than water.

• The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of London gin shall be 37,5 %.

• The term London gin may be supplemented by the term “dry”.

Though the British government encouraged gin-drinking by levying heavy taxes on imported spirits in the eighteenth century, gin was also blamed for many social ills in London and other cities. William Hogarth devoted a series of engravings to the problem in his 1751 Beer Street and Gin Lane (see above image). Daniel Defoe commented on the Gin Craze:

…the Distillers have found out a way to hit the palate of the Poor, by their new fashion’d compound Waters called Geneva, so that the common People seem not to value the French-brandy as usual, and even not to desire it.

Historically, the “dry” vermouth used in a Martini was invented in France—by Joseph Noilly in the early nineteenth century—while the sweet vermouth of the Manhattan originated in Italy. “French” vermouth is pale and bitter rather than sweet and red like the Italian. Modern brands will often produce both types as well as more modern varieties.

Note that Embury’s instructions here (and for The Manhattan) call for a gentle “stir” rather than the “vigorous shake” asked for in the mixing of The Sidecar or The Jack Rose. Here are some guidelines to stirring technique, including choice of bar spoon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANqb3j28n0

The general rule for shaking verus stirring is that lighter mixing agents (like the basic spirits of vermouth and whiskey in a Manhattan) require less force to mix than heavier ones (like dairy, egg, and fruits—both The Jack Rose and The Sidecar contain lemon juice).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUUq5mRCimo

James Bond’s arguments to the contrary—he has asked for his martinis “shaken, not stirred” in films since Dr. No—clearly display an anxiety about his own masculinity. Bond also prefers vodka to gin, which classic cocktail aficionados would similarly scoff at.

Rum is a spirit derived from sugarcane. While such alcoholic beverages date back to antiquity, distillation of rum began in the Caribbean in the 17th century. Before the rise of whiskey, rum played a major role in early Colonial American history. George Washington’s 1789 inauguration was celebrated with a barrel of rum. The history of rum is also bound up in that of the Atlantic slave trade as a cheap source of labor was necessary for the sugarcane production. Most rum continues to be produced in the Caribbean and Latin America today.

Though regional variations do exist between different Caribbean colonial producers of rum, Embury’s reference to “Cuban rum” as a distinct variety is somewhat unclear. Several major brands of rum, though, were produced in the island country at the time of his writing, including the still popular Bacardi. Though now an international brand, Bacardi played an important role in Cuban history. Its “silver” recipe was invented in 1814 by a Spanish wine merchant Facundo Bacardí Massó who emigrated to the Spanish colony.

Chilling a cocktail glass in preparation for a cold drink ensures that the drink will remain at proper temperature throughout consumption. Freezing or submerging glasses in ice is one method of doing this. Less forethought is needed for the following technique using simply ice and water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6S8k323D0

If liquid nitrogen is available, then this method is superior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3YtKic3w3g

Proper attention to type and use of ice is critical in mixing cocktails. The crushed ice called for by Embury is common in daiquiris and margaritas and has given rise to the “frozen” variations on the cocktails commonly offered today.

Simple syrup is “simply” sugar previously disolved in water. While sugar (cubed or fine) and water might be added directly to a cocktail. preparation of simple syrup ensures proper dilution. While simple syrup can be bought, it is about as easy to make as ramen noodles.

White rums (sometimes referred to as “silver”) are typically more mild in flavor than dark rums and are generally reserved for mixing drinks while darker rums are drunk straight. White rums are still aged, but are also filtered to remove color.