This bottle is made using wine from estate-grown palomino fino grapes distilled in centuries-old copper alembic pots, then aged for a minimum of 12 years.
California is an emergent region for the spirit nowadays, but Germain Robin has been making luscious brandy there for nearly 40 years, since the day when one of the founders picked the other one up hitchhiking.
Back in , Martell was the first producer in Cognac to ship brandy to the United States. Now the house gets even cozier with the U. It adds dimension to an Old Fashioned. The best brandy can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime sip.
Brandy is a spirit distilled from fruit. Grapes, apples, pears, berries of all kinds—There is a wide variety of raw materials to choose from. Some brandies are left unaged. They are clear, intense distillates that show the character of fresh fruit.
Many others are barrel-aged, where they transform into mellow, golden elixirs over time. All cognac is brandy, but not all brandies are cognacs. The aged brandy known as cognac is produced from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France, where brandy has an illustrious history. There, the grape varieties and growing areas, the minimum 30 months of aging, the French oak barrels, copper pot stills, and the winter distillation are all strictly enforced.
Fruit for brandy is fermented into a wine, which is then distilled to produce a spirit. Though brandy is often thought of—and greatly enjoyed—as an old-school after-dinner drink, to sip neat from a snifter as you smoked your cigar, the spirit has a long history as a staple ingredient in classic cocktails.
Today, many VS brandies are made with an eye toward mixology. Betsy Andrews has been writing about wine and spirits for two decades.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Discover more in our article, Armagnac Brandy: All you need to know A very old bottle of Armabganc 3.
Calvados Heading further north, to the region of Normandy, one can find an apple spirit called Calvados. Map of Calvados Appellation Spanish Brandy Spain has a long, long history of distilling brandy—the art was introduced to the area by the Moors in the 8 th century. Brandy de Jerez To qualify as a Brandy de Jerez the brandy must be aged in casks that have held sherry in the past and that use a solera system for aging. Glasses of Obstler brandy 6. A Pisco sour cocktail — made with egg white, Pisco brandy, lime juice and syrup.
Photo courtesy of Marcelo Sabbatini Another confusing fact is that Pisco made in Peru cannot be sold in Chile, and vice versa. Armenian Brandy The small country of Armenia is the birthplace of some rather good brandies. Some balloon glasses of Ararat brandy made in Armenia. Image Courtesy: Aram Orbelyan 8. South African Brandy Another grape brandy, the spirit produced in South Africa can be both pot still distilled and column still distilled. South African brandy tasting. Photo courtesy of Bill Abrams 9.
Cypriot Brandy Produced on the island of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean, this is another brandy made from grapes. Sources: Forbes. Get articles like these and more: Subscribe to our mailing list Get our Cognac Guide in form of an e-Book for free. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Author Jacki Jacki has been with Cognac Expert from virtually the beginning. Olivier 3 years ago. Eau-de-vie can be made from a variety of fruit. The most common are apple de pomme , pear de poire , peach de peche , pomace marc , and yellow plum de mirabelle.
It is also used as a base spirit to create sweet, flavored liqueurs. Flavored brandy is a broad category because brandy can be made from any fermented fruit juice. Apple, apricot, cherry, and peach brandies are the most popular and are made throughout the world.
Other flavored varieties include ouzo a Greek brandy with an anise base , kirschwasser a German cherry brandy , and calvados an apple specialty from Normandy. Applejack is often made with a blend of apple brandy; Laird's Applejack is one of the top brands. You need to be careful with flavored brandies. It has been common practice for brands to add sweeteners and other additives, making them more like a liqueur. A true brandy is distilled directly from the fruit and contains no sweeteners.
The sweetened options are not necessarily bad, but it is good to read the labels so you know what you're buying. Grappa literally means "grape stalk.
Grappa is made by fermenting and distilling the pomace left-over grape skins, stems, and seeds and is typically clear and unaged. Some distillers will age it, which gives it a yellow or reddish hue, depending on the type of barrel used.
Most brandy can be enjoyed straight or on the rocks. It's common to enjoy it in a brandy snifter, a specialized glass with an oversized bowl that captures the aroma above a shot of room temperature brandy. Well-aged and higher-end brandies, Cognac, and Armagnac are particularly suited to sipping straight in that manner. Nearly all brandies, including eau-de-vie chilled and grappa, make a nice digestif to enjoy after dinner.
Grappa is also commonly served in or alongside hot espresso in Italy. Brandy is also an excellent cocktail ingredient. It is one of the most common base spirits for classic cocktails in which it's often dressed up lightly with just a few other ingredients. Sangria and mulled wines are some of the more elaborate mixes that may include brandy.
You'll find many old recipes that feature apple, apricot, cherry, and peach brandies as well. Spanish brandy is a great cocktail ingredient and pisco is finding its way into a number of drink recipes as well. Brandy cocktails are plentiful. From classic recipes to modern creations, stocking a good bottle of brandy in your bar means you'll have many elegant and intriguing drinks to enjoy. Brandy is such an expansive category of liquor that you can find an unlimited number of brands to explore.
After distillation, the liquid is blended and aged, which is what really makes cognac special. At Hennessy, for example, a tasting committee of 7 people meets from 11 a. It takes 10 years of training before one can join the committee, according to the brand's ambassador Jordan Bushell. Cognac must be aged for at least 2 years in French oak, at which point it's labeled "V.
Very Special. Sipping a glass of cognac—especially a V. The Sidecar , for example, is a classic cocktail that uses cognac as its primary ingredient. Brandy, of course, can also be sipped neat or in cocktails the Jack Rose is among the most popular. Sipping cognac and brandy straight might give flavors of fruits like apricots, oranges, and lemons.
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