Cheese & Cognac: A French Affair

December 2025

Cin Cin brought together two leading experts for an immersive exploration of two of France’s most iconic artisanal traditions: Cognac and cheese.

Arthur Kilajian – one of only 80 Cognac Educators worldwide accredited by France’s Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac – shared his expertise in the spirit’s history, production, tasting, and culture. A dedicated educator and collector, Arthur has visited more than 70 Cognac houses and regularly hosts masterclasses across Toronto, providing first-hand and rare insight into this historic region and its producers.

Afrim Pristine, third-generation owner of Cheese Boutique – a landmark in Toronto’s West End for over 55 years — brought his expertise in cheese. Home to over 500 varieties at any given time, Cheese Boutique offers one of the largest cheese selections in Canada. Trained across Europe alongside master cheesemakers and affineurs, Afrim earned the prestigious Maître Fromager designation from France’s International Cheese Guild in 2013, becoming the youngest recipient in the world at just 32.

Together, Arthur and Afrim guided guests through a tasting of six exceptional French cheeses, each paired with a rare or limited-edition Cognac. As aromas unfolded, flavours intertwined, and textures evolved, the pairings revealed their own quiet logic, demonstrating how mirroring and contrast can heighten balance, complexity, structure, and pleasure.

Drawing on their personal relationships with the distillers and cheesemakers behind each selection, Arthur and Afrim shared stories of place and craft that enriched the experience. The evening unfolded as a refined celebration of French artisanal excellence – intimate, expressive, and driven by expertise, authenticity, and unforgettable flavour. 

Tastings

Champs-Élysées – Cognac, Green Chartreuse, lemon, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters combine in this classic cocktail, dating to 1925. Spirit-forward, refreshing, and complex, it turns 100 this year and remains a quintessential example of Parisian cocktail elegance

Hennessy Master Blender’s Selection #3 (7 years) & 2-year-aged Comté

Château de Beaulon Grand XO (20 years) & Brillat-Savarin 

Audrey Reserve Special (25-30 years) & Ossau-Iraty

Courvoisier XO Royal (30 years) & 3-year aged Mimolette 

Mauxion 1975 (47 years) & Bleu d’Auvergne

Hardy Reserve de la Famille (70+ years) & Chabichou