Cristal

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For the Cuban beer, see Cristal (beer).

A bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal (1993).

Cristal is the brand name of a well-known Champagne produced by Louis Roederer.

1 Status
2 History
3 In literature
4 Rap controversy
5 Note

[edit] Status

Cristal is easily recognized by its clear, "crystal" bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper, and gold label. It has been used as a status symbol by rappers, who make frequent reference to it in their music, often calling it "cris" or "crissy". A typical price in the United States is $350 or more ^[1] for a bottle. In the United Kingdom, prices are around £200 per bottle.

[edit] History

It was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia. According to legend, it was created because the tsar was afraid of assassins concealing weapons inside an ordinary opaque wine bottle.

[edit] In literature

This is what B. P. Jones, the protagonist in Truman Capote's Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel, presumably the author himself, had to say: "Even for those who dislike champagne, myself among them, there are two champagnes one can't refuse. Dom Perignon and the even superior Cristal, which is bottled in a natural-colored glass that displays its pale glaze, a chilled fire of such prickly dryness that, swallowed, seems not to have been swallowed at all, but instead to have turned to vapors on the tongue and burned there to one damp sweet ash."^[2]

[edit] Rap controversy

In 2006, asked by The Economist about whether associations with rap stars could affect the marque, new managing director Frederic Rouzaud said:

"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."

Since the release of this statement, rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has decided to boycott the product in his personal life and various clubs he owns, claiming that the views expressed were racist. Both P. Diddy and Jay-Z have said "Fuck Cris" on their newest albums. In an ensuing statement, Rouzaud stated that Cristal's longevity as a business can be attributed to its willingness to embrace "...all cultures - including hip-hop." Earlier, he had stated that he viewed the hip-hop culture with "curiosity and serenity." ^[3]