Origin: likely the first Western distilled beverage
Ingredients: grape wine
Cognac
Origin: Cognac, France, 1500s
Ingredients: wine (7.5% ABV, high acidity)
Process: Pot double-distill to 70% ABV, dilute to 50%, age in oak 2 years (minimum) to 5 years or more (Very Superior Old Pale--VSOP). Dilute (if necessary) to 40% ABV, color with caramel, add a small amount of sugar for taste.
Armagnac
Origin: Armagnac region, France, 1411 (first mention)
Ingredients: wine
Process: Pot single-distill to 53% ABV, age in sappy, strong black oak. Outside of France, armagnac is sometimes made in a column still, and with caramel syrup added.
Armagnac is generally drier than Cognac.
Brandy de Jerez
Origin: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Ingredients: primarily the Airen grape of La Mancha and Extremadura
Process: Column distill (often elsewhere in Spain, then ship to Jerez) and age in sherry casks for minimums of 6 months, one year for Reserva, three years for Gran Reserva. In practice the best Reservas and Gran Reservas are aged 12-15 years.
Grapes from other regions are usually used as the local sherry grapes are too valuable for brandy production.
Metaxa
Origin: Greece, 1888 (invented by Spyros Metaxa)
Ingredients: wine
Process: Pot distill, flavor with Muscat wine, age at least three years, flavor with anise, rose leaves and other spices.
Grapes from other regions are usually used as the local sherry grapes are too valuable for brandy production.
Ingredients: grape wine
Cognac
Origin: Cognac, France, 1500s
Ingredients: wine (7.5% ABV, high acidity)
Process: Pot double-distill to 70% ABV, dilute to 50%, age in oak 2 years (minimum) to 5 years or more (Very Superior Old Pale--VSOP). Dilute (if necessary) to 40% ABV, color with caramel, add a small amount of sugar for taste.
Armagnac
Origin: Armagnac region, France, 1411 (first mention)
Ingredients: wine
Process: Pot single-distill to 53% ABV, age in sappy, strong black oak. Outside of France, armagnac is sometimes made in a column still, and with caramel syrup added.
Armagnac is generally drier than Cognac.
Brandy de Jerez
Origin: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Ingredients: primarily the Airen grape of La Mancha and Extremadura
Process: Column distill (often elsewhere in Spain, then ship to Jerez) and age in sherry casks for minimums of 6 months, one year for Reserva, three years for Gran Reserva. In practice the best Reservas and Gran Reservas are aged 12-15 years.
Grapes from other regions are usually used as the local sherry grapes are too valuable for brandy production.
Metaxa
Origin: Greece, 1888 (invented by Spyros Metaxa)
Ingredients: wine
Process: Pot distill, flavor with Muscat wine, age at least three years, flavor with anise, rose leaves and other spices.
Grapes from other regions are usually used as the local sherry grapes are too valuable for brandy production.
Ingredients: pomace wine (made from grape pulp, skins, stems and seeds)
The "poor man's brandy," pomace was originally something for wine makers to do with their grapes after pressing.
Grappa
Origin: Bassano del Grappa, Italy
Ingredients: pomace wine
Process: Don't age, or age 2-4 years.
Marc
Origin: France
Ingredients: pomace wine
The "poor man's brandy," pomace was originally something for wine makers to do with their grapes after pressing.
Grappa
Origin: Bassano del Grappa, Italy
Ingredients: pomace wine
Process: Don't age, or age 2-4 years.
Marc
Origin: France
Ingredients: pomace wine
Ingredients: non-grape fruit wine
Process: Age minimally, and rarely in wood (fine calvados is an exception).
Not to be confused with fruit-flavored grape brandy.
Eau-de-vie
Origin: Alsace region, France, 1553 (first mention)
Ingredients: non-grape fruit wine
Process: Do not age.
"Water of life" in French, eau-de-vie is colorless. The term is also used in France to refer to brandy in general.
Calvados
Origin: Lower Normandy region, France
Ingredients: apple cider
Process: Age in oak casks for minimum of two years.
The best-known fruit brandy, calvados is made from the local small, tart apples.
Kirschwasser
Origin: Germany
Ingredients: black cherry
Applejack
Origin: United States, colonial period
Ingredients: hard cider (fermented apples)
The word comes from "jacking," a nickname for the freeze distillation procedure originally used.
Rakija
Origin: Balkans
Ingredients: various fruits
Often spelled "rakia", many varieties are popular on the Balkan peninsula where it may be made from grapes, plums (known as slivovitz, usually from the same sloe plum used to flavor "sloe gin"), apricots, pears, quince, figs, and walnuts.
Process: Age minimally, and rarely in wood (fine calvados is an exception).
Not to be confused with fruit-flavored grape brandy.
Eau-de-vie
Origin: Alsace region, France, 1553 (first mention)
Ingredients: non-grape fruit wine
Process: Do not age.
"Water of life" in French, eau-de-vie is colorless. The term is also used in France to refer to brandy in general.
Calvados
Origin: Lower Normandy region, France
Ingredients: apple cider
Process: Age in oak casks for minimum of two years.
The best-known fruit brandy, calvados is made from the local small, tart apples.
Kirschwasser
Origin: Germany
Ingredients: black cherry
Applejack
Origin: United States, colonial period
Ingredients: hard cider (fermented apples)
The word comes from "jacking," a nickname for the freeze distillation procedure originally used.
Rakija
Origin: Balkans
Ingredients: various fruits
Often spelled "rakia", many varieties are popular on the Balkan peninsula where it may be made from grapes, plums (known as slivovitz, usually from the same sloe plum used to flavor "sloe gin"), apricots, pears, quince, figs, and walnuts.
netvibes
RSS