Larsen Cognac’s 90th anniversary year is proving to be a winning one. The house’s VS was awarded “Best VS Cognac of the Year” in the World Drinks Awards (London March 17th 2016).

Selecting the best spirits from all over the world, The World Drinks Awards judges products not only on their quality but also on their design and packaging. The title comes after Cognac Larsen VS won a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Spirits Competition earlier in the year, where some 1,850 spirits competed.

This recognition underscores the work of Cellar Master Robert Andrieux, who has defined the pure, fruity Larsen style for the past 25 years, guided by the recipe that has remained secret since the day founder, Jens Reidar, developed  it.

Made from Fins Bois eaux-de-vie, Larsen VS is marked by dried apricot, orange flower and hints of vanilla on the nose, while the palate is characteristically fruity and long.

Larsen dates from 1926, when Jens Reidar, a Norweigan adventurer and Cognac-lover, set off to explore France, decided to set up a Cognac house there and never went home. Its Nordic roots are reflected in the brand’s iconic emblem: the Viking ship or drakkar.  Larsen joined the ALTIA group in 2013.

Earlier this year Larsen went through a brand redesign and repositioning under its new MD, Jérôme Durand, who elaborated on this move by saying, “We have kept the spirit of Jens Reidar but have changed the positioning by focusing more on the elegance, purity and fruit of the Cognacs”.