Brandy
Brandy is a spirit mostly made by distilling wine. The name comes from a Dutch word, brandewijn, which means “burned wine.” Two of the best-known and indeed best types of brandy, whose production is governed by strict rules, are Cognac and Armagnac, both from France. So, all Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac. Many wine-growing regions of the world also produce brandy, and the flavors vary according to both the types of grape used for the wine and the differing production processes. Most U.S. brandy comes from California. Brandy is also used as an ingredient in spirits such as Metaxa, a Greek spirit. A distinct type of brandy is fruit brandy, which is made from fruit juice, wine, or pulp from fruit other than grapes. Grappa, common in Italy, and the South American spirit called pisco are also types of brandy.
Top Brandy Posts:
How Is Brandy Made?
Hine Rare, Homage, Antique, and H by Hine
Paul Masson Grande Amber VS Brandy
Will the real Tariquet please stand up? This longtime producer of Armagnac has operated under so many name variations I’ve lost the plot. In 2009 it was Domaine du Tariquet, then in 2015 and 2016 ...
Chateau Arton makes both wine and brandy, where Patrick de Montal has been producing Armagnac for a relatively young 30-some years. The brand focuses heavily on single-vintage bottlings, one of which we review here along ...
Meukow is the Cognac with the panther on the bottle. Or rather, in the bottle, part of the bottle. There’s more to it than that, I’m sure, but I don’t know a whole lot more ...
Jean-Luc Pasquet produces this Cognac expression from Grande Champagne eau de vie, taking two vintages of Cognac, each at least 7 years old, and blending them together, the idea being that Pasquet can find ...
This entry level Cognac is a blend of 25% Grande Champagne/Petite Champagne eau de vie and 75% Fins Bois eau de vie. It spends just two years in small oak barrels before bottling, qualifying it ...
Castarede isn’t a household name in the U.S., but it actually lays claim to being the oldest Armagnac in existence, dating back to 1832. The house makes the full range of standard expressions, from blanche ...
I first became acquainted with rakija — widely known as raki — through Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, where it seemed like he was always sipping on the stuff, invariably with a grimace on his face. Raki ...
Armagnac producer Chateau de Laubade got its start in 1870 in Gascony, and today it farms 260 acres of grapes used for its brandies. Laubade’s claim to fame — one of them, at least — ...
Apricot is a tricky flavor to work with, but if you’re exploring classic cocktails, you’ll find apricot brandy or liqueur a component in dozens of recipes. When recipes call for apricot, they often call for ...
Pellehaut is an Armagnac producer with which I was unfamiliar before receiving a sample of its Reserve Le Bel Age bottling, which is made from a blend of ugni blanc and folle blanche grapes planted ...
