Cristal (wine) - History

History

Cristal was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia, and is viewed by many as the first prestige cuvée. As the political situation in Russia at the time of his rule was unstable, the Tsar feared assassination. He ordered that champagne bottles for his Three Emperors Dinner be made clear, so that he could see the bubbles and also to prevent hiding a bomb within them, as could happen with a typical dark green bottle. Louis Roederer commissioned a Flemish glassmaker to create a clear lead glass Champagne bottle with a flat bottom. The Champagne has since become known as "Cristal".

The wine was not commercially available until 1945. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the brand became increasingly associated with rap and hip-hop culture, with several artists referencing the drink in song lyrics and as part of their public image, notably New York rappers Raekwon, 50 Cent, Biggie Smalls (the Notorious B.I.G.), Puff Daddy, Lamont Coleman (Big L), and Jay-Z, and in this context is often referred to as "Crissy"; see champagne in music. In an interview with The Economist in 2006, Louis Roederer managing director Frederic Rouzaud said he viewed the attention from rappers with "curiosity and serenity." Asked if he thought the association would harm the brand, he replied, "that's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business." Subsequent interpretations and reactions to these statements resulted in the brand's loss of position in hip-hop culture. Cristal went from being the rappers' default to being discarded, an example of this was Jay-Z releasing a statement saying he would never "drink Cristal or promote it in any way or serve it at any of clubs" for what he felt was off-hand, patronizing disrespect for the culture of hip hop.