Brandy – What is it & how is it made?

For a spirit so often associated with the bourgeoisie, it’s interesting to note brandy’s name actually comes from the Dutch word meaning “burnt wine” – referring to the distillation process that creates it.

Origins of brandy can be traced back to a Muslim heritage as far back as the 8th century, when Arab alchemists experimented with distilling grapes and other fruits to create medicinal spirits.

The technique quickly spread beyond Islamic borders. European merchants would attempt to preserve wine for shipments by distilling or vaporizing it, with the intention of adding water on the receiving end to the original flavour. Instead, they stumbled upon the secret to making great brandy – distilling wine and storing it in wooden casks.

Nowadays, most brandy is aged in oak casks for at least three or four years to enhance both the colour and the taste. XO (or Extra Old) brandy is aged even longer, and offers a very distinguished taste.

Brandy production is dependent on the season, since it requires ripe ingredients – whether grapes or other fruit bases. Some brandy is even made from marc – the leftover residue from the wine press – which results in extremely potent (albeit inferior quality) brandy.

Brandy connoisseurs will be quick to tell you that their sacred after-dinner digestif is best enjoyed warm in a tulip-shaped glass called a “snifter” – only adding ice or mixers with lower-grade brandies.