The prestigious Cardenal Mendoza brandy from Jerez is aged for at least 15 years using the traditional solera and criadera method of Jerez. The brandy is aged in casks that previously held Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, giving it a deep, rich, and smooth flavor.
Launch of Cardenal Mendoza Nebulis Smoked Brandy
During Golden Week, we launched our new limited-edition smoked brandy, Cardenal Mendoza Nebulis. Two online tastings were organized: one in Spanish with importers from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, as well as domestic distributors; and another in English with importers from the United States, Germany, Israel, Russia, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
It was the first tasting of this new and revolutionary brandy: it was sampled both neat and on the rocks—the latter accentuating the smokiness—and finally, a comparison was made with our Cardenal Mendoza Clásico, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two brandies. The new product was very well received by the guests, who assured us that Cardenal Mendoza Nebulis will be well received in its markets.
Cardenal Mendoza Cocktail Competition
As in previous editions, Cardenal Mendoza invited mixologists and bartenders from around the world to experiment and get creative with Cardenal Mendoza Clásico brandy to craft their cocktails.
This year, the challenge was to create a new take on a classic cocktail using Cardenal Mendoza as the main ingredient. Contestants had to post their entry on Instagram, with a video or photo tagging @cardenalmendozabrandy and using the hashtag #CardenalNewSuit, in reference to the new label and bottle design of Cardenal Mendoza Clásico.
The jury members were:
Matthias Soberon (Belgium): a regular judge at international cocktail competitions and founder of Served by Soberon, a renowned blog on cocktails and beverages.
Andre Camacho (Germany): mixologist with the innovative mixology team at We Love Cocktails, with over 16 years of experience.
Kike Prado (Spain): a renowned bartender and owner of Bar La Higuera in Barcelona, specializing in cocktails.
The scoring criteria were as follows:
1) Creativity of the cocktail recipe.
2) Originality of the recipe and ease of reproduction.
3) Does the bartender/mixologist respect the brand and flavor profile in the recipe?
4) Cocktail presentation (choice of glassware, ice, and garnish).
The winner was Snehal DC, from San Diego (United States), with his creation “A Love Letter to Sherry,” a provocative new take on the classic Sidecar cocktail.
A Love Letter to Sherry
60 ml Cardenal Mendoza Clásico brandy
15 ml Aperol
20 ml lemon juice
15 ml grenadine
Flambéed orange peel for garnish
Shake and pour into a brandy glass over an ice cube, and garnish with flambéed orange peel.
Cardenal Mendoza Golden Week Concerts
To celebrate this edition of Cardenal Mendoza Golden Week, Sánchez Romate produced a series of videos in collaboration with singer Ana Bohéme, who was born in Jerez.
The first video takes a musical tour of the winery, from the vineyard to the casks, where Cardenal Mendoza brandy has been aged since 1887. In every corner of the winery, you can see the effort that goes into producing the finest brandy. We invite you to discover our winery and enjoy this beautiful acoustic flamenco version of “Shallow,” performed by singer Ana Bohéme and accompanied by guitar and keyboards.
The second video was intended to showcase everything that goes into every bottle—a team that puts tremendous effort into crafting our beloved brandy. This song, Ana’s cover of David Bowie’s classic “Heroes,” is dedicated to each and every person who makes Cardenal Mendoza a unique and special product. To all of them, thank you!
Finally, what would life be without friends, family, and music? That’s why, with this third video, we wanted to celebrate the fact that we can finally see each other again, hug, dance, and have fun together after such a difficult year. Ana Bohéme sings the joyful song “Volare.” A celebration, too, for musicians, family, work, and, of course, good brandy! Cheers!
In-person activities
Among the in-person activities that took place during Golden Week, the 20 tastings held at department stores and specialty shops with promotions in the United States stood out.
The Perfect Serve competition, featuring Cardenal Mendoza Clásico, took place in Puerto Rico.
A Cardenal Mendoza VIP party was also held with 150 influencers and journalists, centered on the new Cardenal Mendoza design and featuring a Halloween theme.
In the Dominican Republic, tasting sets containing a bottle of Cardenal Mendoza and a cigar were sent to several influencers so they could enjoy them together and write about their experience.
In Russia, promotions and tastings were held in specialty stores with end customers, while in Spain, tastings were organized in department stores and specialty shops alongside promotions.
The Golden Week poster
This year, the Cardenal Mendoza Golden Week poster paid tribute to the Cardenal Mendoza workforce—from vineyard workers, foremen, coopers, and cellar masters to winemakers and marketing and sales staff. Each and every one of them contributes to making Cardenal Mendoza a special and unique product.
