Brandy

Brandy is a spirit of distilled wine or fermented fruit juice but usually refers to grape juice. Other mash references the fruit that they’ve been made from, such as apple brandy.

Often associated with wealth and luxury, brandy is interesting because of different interpretations of the alcoholic beverage and polarizing legislation about how it’s defined, distilled, traded, and consumed.

Cognac is the most popular type of  brandy. It is a white wine brandy that must be produced in the Cognac region of France, while brandy can be made anywhere in the world. Cognac must be distilled twice using copper pot stills and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

As one of the most venerable alcohol producing regions in the world, Cognac is famed for its quality distillations and the brandy wine most associated with wealth, class, and sophistication. There are three distinct sub categories of cognac, based on age of distillation.

• VS are aged for 3 or 4 years
• VSOP, aged 5 and 6 years. Very Superior Old and Pale
• XO, aged 6 years plus. Extra Old

Other brandies include:

• Armagnac: Armagnac is made from grapes in the Armagnac region of Southwest France. Unlike other cognacs, Armagnac is only distilled once. Armagnac that is at least 10 years old are labeled hors d’âge (beyond age).
• Applejack: This American fruit brandy is made from apples and was created in New Jersey in 1968.
• Pisco: This brandy is made from grapes in Peru and Chile. It’s named after the Peruvian port of the same name.
• Grappa: Grappa is a brandy made in Italy, the Italian region of Switzerland, or San Marino. It is made from pomace—the skin, pulp, seeds, and stems leftover from winemaking. Pomace brandy can be created anywhere in the world, but only pomace brandy produced in Italy can be called grappa.
• Brandy de Jerez: This Spanish brandy is made in Spain’s Sherry Triangle region from grapes and other kinds of fruit.
• Kirschwasser: Also known as kirsch, this brandy is made from cherries.
• Calvados: This apple brandy needs to be made in the Normandy region in northern France to be considered Calvados.

We carry a variety of quality cognacs and other brandies that you can try at different price points.