Louis XIII, son of Henry IV and Marie de’ Medici, was born on the 27th day of September, 1601. He gained the French throne after the assassination of his father when he was only eight years old. Due to Louis’ age and inexperience, his mother acted as regent through his youth. Louis watched his mother mismanage the kingdom until 1617, when he took power, exiling his mother and executing her followers.

Louis faced controversy and rebellion during the infancy of his reign. However, he quickly established himself as a leader during the Thirty Years War, which began in 1618. Louis led influential battles and sieges throughout the war, placing himself in harms way on the field of battle. This, along with his partnership with the Catholic Church, helped him to become one of the first examples of an absolute monarch.

Throughout his reign, Louis XIII did much to advance the French Kingdom, both politically and culturally. Under his rule, France colonized parts of Asia, Morocco, and the Americas. He helped establish France as a hub for artists and musicians, Louis himself being a lutist and composer. He also popularized the wig as a fashion accessory for men, a trend which lasted two centuries. Louis XIII died in 1643 from a combination severe intestinal ulcers and tuberculosis.

In 1724, the Rémy Martin family began producing and selling cognac, produced in the Grande Champagne region of France. They’ve produced some of the finest cognacs and spirits in history. Originally, they sold only by the barrel, but in 1841, Paul-Emile Rémy Martin broke from tradition, and began selling his finest cognac blend in an ornate glass bottle. This particular liqueur, packaged in its signature crystal decanter, eventually became known as Rémy Martin Louis XIII, named after the French King.

Louis XIII cognac is known for its fine taste and presentation, and is as much a status symbol as it is a drink. Wholesale prices for a bottle begin around $3,000, but prices for rare cask varieties can range from $20,000-40,000. My particular restaurant charges around $200 per ounce of Louis XIII. Servers are encouraged to sell the “Louis XIII experience,” where the bottle is brought to the guest and the cognac is poured tableside and served, quite literally, on a silver platter.

So, you can imagine my dismay when last night, at the tail end of my 11-hour Thanksgiving bartending shift, I nicked our bottle of Louis XIII with the corner of a glass rack. The bottle tipped over, and began spilling its contents all over the counter and floor.

I put the glass rack down and picked the bottle back up, while shouting “no, no no no no!” Once the bottle was upright, back in its display, the other bartender and I surveyed the damage. The bottle, which had never been served, was now just under half full. $1600 of cognac was now pooling on the floor underneath my feet.

There was a long pause. My coworker and I stared at each other, and at the bottle, in disbelief. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing, and the canned Brazilian-fusion jazz on the radio. After a beat, the silence was broken by a man sitting at the bar, who had been watching the whole time. “Well, at least it wasn’t the expensive stuff!”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.