Moonstone Testimonies

Cristal is the flagship cuvée of Champagne Louis Roederer, created in 1876 for Alexander II, tsar of Russia.

Champagne increased in popularity with the Russian nobility from 1855 onwards. An especially popular brand was Louis Roederer’s, who shipped a third of his production to Russia.

Cristal was first created 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.

Thus when he visited Paris in 1867 for the Exposition Universelle, the Tsar ordered that champagne bottles for the lavish dinner he hosted for the Prussian King Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (later termed the Three Emperors Dinner) be made clear, so that he could see the bubbles and also to prevent an explosive being hidden beneath them, as could happen with a typical dark green indented 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 mid 1990s to early 2000s, hip hop music discovered the brand, with several artists referencing the drink in song lyrics and as part of their public image, including Raekwon, 50 Cent, The Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly, Diddy, Big L, Jeru the Damaja, Trina, and Jay-Z. Those in hip hop sometimes used the nickname « Crissy » for the drink.

Tupac Shakur created a cocktail called « Thug Passion », which is a blend of Alizé Gold Passion and Cristal.

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