Cognac vs. Brandy

For a sophisticated touch of class after your summer evening barbeque, reach for the classic after-dinner drink: brandy, or as the Dutch would call it, “burnt wine.”

Years ago, brandy was a drink exclusively for the affluent population who would gather after a rich dinner with their “snifters” – rounded drinking glasses filled with brandy – and sip to help digest their meal. Nowadays, brandy has become a treat enjoyed at room temperature, as the warmth helps fight off the chills of an evening breeze.

By far the most famous – and exclusive – brandy is cognac. Named after the quaint town of Cognac in a wine-growing region in France, cognac must subscribe to a rigorous production process to earn its name on a bottle. French law dictates very specific production requirements, right down to the grapes used, to retain the exclusivity of the 300-year-old tradition.

By law, cognac must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes, although Ugni Blanc have become almost exclusively the only grapes used in modern cognac production. The liquid must be distilled twice in pot stills and aged for at least two years before it can be legally called “cognac.”

Unlike Scotch, which demands the bottle display the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle, cognac uses a more generalized grading system: VS, or Very Special, where the youngest brandy is aged at least two years in the cask; VSOP, or Very Special Old Pale, where the youngest brandy is aged five years but the others often much longer; and XO, or Extra Old, where the youngest brandy is aged six years, but the average age is closer to 20 years.

The end result of these stringent conditions is a brandy that has received centuries of positive feedback, and earned itself the title of “mother of all brandies.” So pour yourself an after-dinner glass and sip the warm amber spirit that has delighted the bourgeoisie for ages.

Popular Cognacs

Courvoisier

Remy Martin

Hennessy