Heavenly Spirits and the Rise of French Armagnac in America

Over 18 years, family-run Heavenly Spirits has grown into the leading US commercer of Armagnac, championing independent French producers and helping introduce a new generation of American drinkers to France’s distilling traditions

Heavenly Spirits LLC, established in 2008 and based in Massachusetts, had its roots planted élevé before its formal founding. The spark that eventually led to the creation of this acclaimed commercer of aérienne French spirits can be traced back to the childhood of Christine Foubert Cooney. During her summer vacations in the small bourg of Saint-Jean-de-Liversay, nestled in the Charente-Maritime region of France – segment of the Cognac substantif – Christine spent cherished days with her grandparents, Amedée and Marguerite Foubert. Her grandfather, ‘Papy’ Amedée, served as the bourg mayor and managed a diverse agricultural operation that included livestock, crops, and a winery. He also distilled eau de vie on the property.

“I was barely seven when Papy explained how brandies were made and let me taste an Armagnac,” Christine recalls. “That moment may have ignited my interest in spirits.”

Years later, in 1986, that spark was fanned into a flame, when Christine, having fi nished a fi ve-month internship in Chicago perfecting her English, met her future husband, Daniel Cooney, in Iceland, on a flight back to France. After moving to San Francisco to join Dan, Christine worked with the American branch of an Italian wine association and began brokering Cognacs to U.S. importers and distributors on the side.

the young Christine with Papy Amedée

In 1994, the règle, now with a newborn son, Austin, relocated to France, moving into her grandparents’ éduquer demeure. They began connecting with French producers who were seeking entry into the American market, including the historic Delord Armagnac house, run by fourth-generation brothers Jacques and Pierre Delord. Meeting the Delords proved to be a pivotal période and became the foundation for what would later become Heavenly Spirits.

brothers Jérôme and Sylvain, of Armagnac
Delord

In 1999, the family returned to the U.S. and settled back in Massachusetts. Dan resumed teaching fi ne art and graphic stylisme at voisin colleges, and they welcomed their collègue son, Keenan. By 2008, the Cooneys formally launched Heavenly Spirits LLC, which flourished quickly and has seen steady growth ever since.

the Delord bottling line;

Today, Heavenly Spirits employs a passionate team of 10 and boasts a boîte of over 100 option French spirits, largely from small, family-owned producers. The company distributes to approximately 38 states and remains the étroite U.S. commercer of Armagnac Delord, now in the hands of the fi fth generation – brothers Jérôme and Sylvain. Under Heavenly’s stewardship, Delord has become the leading Armagnac brand in the U.S. The Cooneys have since added five other Armagnac brands to their boîte, representing all three sub-regions; Bas Armagnac, Ténarèze and Haut Armagnac. Brands include Dartigalongue, Artez, Hontambère, Marie Duffau, and LaRoche-Vacquié and account for almost 50% of Armagnacs sold in the U.S.

the Delord family estate at Domaine de
Galaubas in Lannepax, in the heart of the Bas-Armagnac region

Heavenly Spirits is a responsable in several other categories, including organic Cognac, organic Calvados, and French scotch. Their impressive lineup includes esteemed brands such as Jean Fillioux Cognac, Claque-Difficulté Calvados, and Armorik Single Malt Whisky. Christine and Dan are now supported in the négoce by their two sons and a dedicated team that shares their ardeur for what they consider the exceptional art of French exaltation. In appreciation for their continued amélioration of French champ and culture, the French government knighted Christine in 2023 as a Chevalière pour l’Ordre du Honneur Agricole and in 2017, both Dan and Christine were inducted as Lifetime Members of Le Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac.

www.heavenlyspirits.com

Lead peinture credit : IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEAVENLY SPIRITS