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BRANDY
Brandy & Cognac is wine that has been distilled. The most important thing to know is
that all Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac. Cognac is made from grapes
grown in the Cognac region of France and brandy can be made from any fruit
anywhere.

The word Brandy comes from the Dutch word Brandywine, ("burnt wine"), which is
how the straightforward Dutch traders who introduced it to Northern Europe from
Southern France and Spain in the 16th century described wine that had been "burnt," or
boiled, in order to distill it.

The origins of Brandy can be traced back to the expanding Moslem Mediterranean
states in the 7th and 8th centuries. Arab alchemists experimented with distilling grapes
and other fruits in order to make medicinal spirits. Their knowledge and techniques soon
spread beyond the borders of Islam, with grape Brandy production appearing in Spain
and probably Ireland (via missionary monks) by the end of the 8th century. Brandy, in its
broadest definition, is a spirit made from fruit juice or fruit pulp and skin. More
specifically, it is broken down into three basic groupings.

Grape Brandy is Brandy distilled from fermented grape juice or crushed but not pressed
grape pulp and skin. This spirit is aged in wooden casks (usually oak) which colors it,
mellows the palate, and adds additional aromas and flavors.

Fruit Brandy is the default term for all Brandies that are made from fermenting fruit other
than grapes. It should not be confused with Fruit-Flavored Brandy, which is grape
Brandy that has been flavored with the extract of another fruit. Fruit Brandies, except
those made from berries, are generally distilled from fruit wines.

Berries tend to lack enough sugar to make a wine with sufficient alcohol for proper
distillation, and thus are soaked (macerated) in high-proof spirit to extract their flavor
and aroma. The extract is then distilled once at a low proof. Calvados, the Apple
Brandy from the Normandy region of Northwestern France is probably the best known
type of Fruit Brandy. Eau-de-vie ("water of life") are the default term in French for spirits
in general, and specifically for colorless fruit brandy, particularly from the Alsace region
of France and from California.

Brandy, like Rum and Tequila, is an agricultural spirit. Unlike grain spirits such as
Whisky, Vodka, and Gin, which are made throughout the year from grain that can be
harvested and stored, Brandy is dependent on the seasons, the ripening of the base
fruit, and the production of the wine from which it is made. Types of Brandies, originally
at least, tended to be location-specific. (Cognac, for example, is a town and region in
France that gave its name to the local Brandy.) Important Brandy-making regions,
particularly in Europe, further differentiate their local spirits by specifying the types of

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grapes that can be used and the specific areas (appellation) in which the grapes used
for making the base wine can be grown.

How did brandy come about?

In the 16th century, a brisk trade of wine existed between France and Holland. This
trade was, of course, carried out on the sea utilizing war vessels, sometimes small
sailing ships with limited cargo space. These circumstances caused the cost of
shipping full casks of wine to be astronomical.
So, according to legend, there was a thrifty Dutch shipmaster that got the idea of
concentrating the wine (removing the water) and transporting it in this form (sometimes
referred to as the "soul" of the wine) to Holland, where the water could be put back.
When he arrived in Holland, however, his Dutch friends tasted the concentrated wine
and liked it just as it was and insisted he not put the water back in. The concoction
grew in popularity and later became known as Brandywine (or "burnt wine") and then
shortened to the present-day word: brandy.

Cognac
Cognac is the best known type of Brandy in the world, a benchmark by which most
other Brandies are judged. The Cognac region is located on the west-central Atlantic
coast of France, just north of Bordeaux, in the departments of Charente and Charente-
Maritime.

The region is further subdivided into six growing zones:

 Grande Champagne,
 Petite Champagne,
 Bois Ordinaries,
 Borderies,
 Fins Bois, and
 Bons Bois.

The first two of these regions produce the best Cognac and will frequently be so
designated on bottle labels. Cognacs labeled Fine Champagne are a blend of Petite
and Grande Champagne.

The primary grapes used in making Cognac are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and
Colombard. The wines made from these grapes are thin, tart, and low in alcohol; poor
characteristics for table wines, but oddly enough, perfect for making Brandy. Cognac is
double distilled in pot stills and then aged in casks made from Limousin or Troncais
oak. All Cognacs start out in new oak to mellow the fiery spirit and give them color.
Batches that are chosen for long-term aging are, after a few years, transferred to used,
or "seasoned," casks that impart less of the oak flavor notes while the Brandy matures.

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Manufacturing process of Cognac:-

Cognac is distilled in copper pot stills. The first distillation produces the brouillis. It
contains 30% ABV. The second distillation is called as bonne chauffe. It has upto 72%
ABV. It is only the second distillate that is taken for making cognac. It is then matured in
oak casks. While maturation period, the spirit extracts the flavor, color, and tannin.

The porous wood allows the oxidation of the spirit to take place which gives the fine
finish to the cognac. The rate of oxidation depends on the humidity in the cellars. During
the aging process 2-3% of alcohol evaporates every year. This evaporation is
otherwise called “Angels share” This evaporation tends to happen even after bottling.
Hence most brandy bottles have corks.

Cognac improves only when it is aged is in casks. Once it is bottled, the aging stops.
Distilled water is added to reduce the alcoholic strength to 40%.it is then bottled.
It is estimated that it takes 10 bottles of wine to make 1 (one) bottle of cognac.
Styles of Cognac

The indications on age

V.S./V.S.P./Three Star: (V.S., very superior; V.S.P., very superior pale) A minimum
of two years aging in a cask, although the industry average is four to five years.

V.S.O.P.: (very superior old pale) A minimum of four years cask aging for the
youngest Cognac in the blend, with the industry average being between 10 and 15
years. The youngest spirit in the assembly for Very Superior Old Pales, also called
Reserve.

X.O./Luxury: (X.O., extra old) A minimum of six years aging for the youngest cognac in
the blend, with the average age running 20 years or older.

The indications on vintages

The term "Fine".

The term "Fine" is authorized by the law of 1938 and qualifies a vintage spirit. For
example,”Grande Fine Champagne" qualifies Grande Champagne vintage cognac
assembled with spirits that come solely from the Grande Champagne region.

On the other hand, the "Fine Champagne" appellation qualifies a cognac with at least
50% of Grande Champagne spirits and the rest from Petite Champagne

Napoleon Although the BNIC states this grade is equal to XO in terms of minimum age,
it is generally marketed in-between VSOP and XO in the product range offered by the
producers.
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Hors d'age The BNIC states that also this grade is equal to XO, but in practice the term
is used by producers to market a high quality product beyond the official age scale.
Hence the name "Hors d'age" (ageless).

All Cognac houses maintain inventories of old vintage Cognacs to use in blending these
top of the line brands. The oldest Cognacs are removed from their casks in time and
stored in glass demijohns (large jugs) to prevent further loss from evaporation and to
limit excessively woody and astringent flavors. Luxury Cognacs are the very finest
Cognacs of each individual Cognac house.

Tasting of Cognac

The tasting technique is progressive and follows a classic ritual. The perfect tool is the
tulip shaped glass which contains the aromas and releases them delicately and
progressively throughout the tasting.

First step: visual aspect

The eye must judge the spirit in three ways: transparency, colour and viscosity (the
liquid must not be cloudy nor have sediments). By tilting the glass, one can observe the
"legs" or "tears" effect which is a sign of good age.

Fist step second step Third step

Second step: the scent

Firstly, the connoisseur will detect the very volatile and very subtle scents that are often
hidden to the novice: he carries the glass to within an inch of the nostrils and tames the
burning vapours; he then smells a little closer before inhaling at length all the released
smells with the nose in the glass.

Secondly, the connoisseur discovers the less volatile aromatic components: he stirs and
tosses the liquid inside the glass to allow the spirit to release new scents. He repeats
this action several times to make the pleasure last and to discover a whole new bouquet
every time.

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Third step: the taste

The tasting must obey strict rules: The taster takes small sips at a time (1 to 2 ml). He
holds each sip in the front of the mouth and appreciates the "taste" (balance between
softness, acidity and bitterness) and the "touch" (feeling of roundness, warmth, strength,
astringency, body, oiliness, volume, etc...). The second, longer sip will suffuse the whole
mouth and will bring into full bloom the flavours and the less volatile notes that complete
the bouquet.

Armagnac

Armagnac is the oldest type of Brandy in France, with documented references to

distillation dating back to the early 15th century. The Armagnac region is located in the
heart of the ancient province of Gascony in the southwest corner of France.

As in Cognac, there are regional growing zones:

 Bas-Armagnac,
 Haut Armagnac, and
 Tenareze.

The primary grapes used in making Armagnac are likewise the Ugni Blanc, Folle
Blanche, and Colombard. But distillation takes place in the unique alambic
Armagnacais, a type of column still that is even more "inefficient" than a typical
Cognac pot still.

The resulting brandy has a rustic, assertive character and aroma that requires additional
cask aging to mellow it out. The best Armagnacs are aged in casks made from the local
Monlezun oak. In recent years Limousin and Troncais oak casks have been added to
the mix of casks as suitable Monlezun oak becomes harder to find.

Most Armagnacs are blends, but unlike Cognac, single vintages and single vineyard
bottling can be found. The categories of Armagnac are generally the same as those of
Cognac (V.S., V.S.O.P., X.O., etc.). Blended Armagnacs frequently have a greater
percentage of older vintages in their mix than comparable Cognacs, making them a
better value for the discerning buyer.

Apple and Other Fruit Brandies

Normandy is one of the few regions in France that does not have a substantial grape
wine industry. Instead it is apple country, with a substantial tradition of producing hard
and sweet cider that in turn can be distilled into an Apple Brandy known as Calvados.

The local cider apples, which tend to be small and tart, are closer in type to crab apples
than to modern table apples. This spirit has its own appellations, with the best brands
coming from Appellation Contrôlée Pays dAuge near the Atlantic seaport of Deauville,
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and the rest in 10 adjacent regions that are designated Appellation Reglementee. Most
Pays dAuge and some of the better Appellation Reglementee are produced in pot stills.
All varieties of Calvados are aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years. Cognac-
style quality and age terms such as V.S.O.P. and Hors dAge is frequently used on
labels, but have no legal meaning. In the United States, Applejack, as Apple Brandy is
called locally, is thought by many to be the first spirit produced in the British colonies.

This colonial tradition has continued on the East Coast with the Lairds Distillery in New
Jersey (established in 1780 and the oldest distillery in America). Apple Brandies that are
more like eau-de-vie are produced in California and Oregon. .

The most popular fruit brandies are; applejack from America, Calvados (KAL-vah-dohs)
apple brandy from France, Framboise (frahm-BWAHZ) raspberry brandy from France,
Kirsch (KEERSH) cherry brandy from Germany, Poire (PWAHR) a Swiss pear brandy,
and Slivovitz (SLIHV-uh-vihts) a German plum brandy.

Pomace Brandy is made from the residue of wine, stems and seeds. The most popular
are Grappa (GRAHP-pah) from Italy and Marc from France.

Brands of cognac

Martell Rémy Martin

Braastad Pierre-Ferrand

Courvoisier Landy

Moyet Meukow

Hennessy The Hennessy X.O. is more available and affordable. "This is the benchmark
for all cognacs produced," proclaims Olsen while smelling the X.O., "Cognac is about
soil, grapes, pot stills two times...though French law merely dictates that an X.O. be six
years old, the Hennessy X.O. is, on average, 30 years old. Like I said, this is the

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benchmark." Aromas of mocha or maybe coffee, dried fruits like fig and prunes, musty
apricot, marzipan/roasted almonds, with lusty, grapy elements are all there. The
Hennessy X..O. can be found in any fine shop, retailing for $80.

THE KING OF COGNACS

King Louis the XIII produced by Remy Martin is considered the King of Cognacs.
Only grapes from the Grande Champagne region are used and it's aged in barrels that
are several hundred years old. It can range in age from 40 to 100 years and it's
packaged in a Baccarat crystal bottle. It sells for $1500 or more and in bars across the
globe.

A term called The Angels Portion or the Angels Share is associated with the
evaporation. They say that when you visit Cognac, you can actually smell the
evaporating cognac in the air from the casks below.

What do all of those letters on the label mean?

Distillers of "higher end" brandies and Cognacs use letters to indicate the quality of their
products. Interestingly, these letters represent English words and not French. They are
as follows:

E is Especial
F is Fine
V is Very
O is Old
S is Superior
P is Pale
X is Extra
C is Cognac.

With this in mind, let's take into consideration some Hennessy Cognac products:

Hennessy V.S. Cognac is: Hennessy Very Superior Cognac

Hennessy V.S.O.P. Cognac is: Hennessy Very Superior Old Pale Cognac

Hennessy X.O. Cognac is Hennessy Extra Old Cognac

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LIQUEURS
Liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices,
flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they
are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to
allow flavors to marry.

Liqueurs are flavoured, sweetened spirits, characterized by their flavorings and not base
spirit.Latin word LIQUIFACERE meaning ‘To dissolve’. Liqueurs were known in ancient
Roman times but developed in the middle Ages through experiments with distillation of
herbs, flowers and grape juice. The ancient cordials were used as medicines, and the
recipes guarded with immense secrecy. To this day, the ingredients of some famous
liqueurs remain secrets off monasteries after which they are named.

Nowadays, liqueurs are made worldwide and are served in many ways: by themselves,
poured over ice, with coffee, mixed with cream or other mixers to create cocktails, etc.
They are often served with or after a dessert. Liqueurs are also used in cooking

All liqueurs consist of the following 3 (three) constituents:

1. THE SPIRIT BASE

The alcohol used as spirit base must be as pure as possible. Manner of distillation and
degree of rectification determine purity of spirit. Most liqueurs have a neutral or a grain
spirit base though whisky, rum, grape brandy, cognac, fruit spirit or rice spirit are
often used.

2. THE FLAVOURING AGENT

 FRUIT FLAVOUR - Flavoured with any fruit except citrus fruits.

Either the whole fruit or the part of the fruit is used. Fruit liqueurs are labelled as Creme
eg. Creme de Cassis. These are fairly low in alcohol

 Botanical Mixtures-
These were first used for the medicinal purposes. These liqueurs are flavoured with a
combination of herbs with no one flavour being predominant. These are fairly high on
the alcohol content. Examples: Benedictine, Chartreuse.

 CREAM BASED
Main ingredients are fresh dairy cream and spirit which are flavoured and
sweetened. Most are 34 v/v.

 SEEDS AND NUTS

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A single flavour predominates. Examples:-Anisette.

3. THE SWEETENER

Liqueurs are sweetened with sugar syrup after blending is completed. Most liqueurs
contain 35% -40% sweeteners. Liqueurs containing 2.5% to 10% sugar come in the dry
range.

MANUFACTURE PROCESS OF LIQUEURS:-

The steps involved in the production of liqueurs are

 Extraction
The flavouring agent must be extracted from the natural substance, to use the essential
oil as an ingredient.
There are four methods of extraction:
 Pressure
 Infusion or Hot
 Maceration or cold
 Percolation

PERCOLATION

The flavour material usually leaves or herbs are placed in the upper part of the
percolation apparatus. A high proof spirit is pumped up and allowed to drip down
through it.
Process used in the manufacture of liqueurs, in which the spirit base of cold vapour is
passed though the container filled with natural flavouring agents .This process may
have to repeat for weeks or months to achieve the desired level of extraction.

MACERATION

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The steeping of fruit in alcohol in the production of liqueurs. This process may take as
long as a year. Maceration refers to the steeping of the aromatic /flavouring agent which
has usually been bruised in water or alcohol for a period of time in order to extract an
essence from it. This essence, then added to the base spirit as the flavouring agent.

INFUSION

The infusion method is generally done for fruit liqueurs by placing both, fresh fruits and
dry fruits in a cask containing brandy. The fruit steeps for 6-8 months during which the
brandy absorbs the colour, aroma and taste of the selected fruit. Staining then drawn off
the brandy and sugar syrup is added. The fruit may still have some brandy in it, so it is
distilled to extract the last drop of flavor and added to the mixture. It is sometimes aged
for up to a year.

 Distillation
 Compounding
 Maturing
 Fining
 Addition of sugar syrup
 Filtration
 Bottling

FAMOUS LIQUEURS OF THE WORLD

LIQUEUR COLOR FLAVOR SPIRIT BASE COUNTRY

Abricotine Red Apricot Brandy France
Avocaat Yellow Egg, sugar Brandy Holland

Anisette Clear Aniseed Neutral Spirit France, Spain,

Italy, Holland

Aquavit Clear Herbs, mainly Potato or grain Scandinavia

caraway seeds distillate

Arrack Clear Herbs Palm sap Java,India,

distillate Jamaica,
Ceylon
Benedictine DOM Yellow/green Herbs Brandy France

Chartreuse Green-96 Herbs Brandy France

proof
Yellow-78
proof

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Cherry Brandy Deep red Cherry Brandy Denmark

Cointreau Clear Orange Brandy France

Creme de cacao Dark Brown Chocolate, Rum France

vanilla beans
Clear Neutral spirit
Creme de cassis Clear Black currants Brandy France

Creme de menthe Green Mint Brandy France

Creme de vanilla Clear Vanilla Neutral spirit France, Holland

Drambuie Golden Heather, Whisky Scotland

Honey & herbs
Grand Marnier Amber Orange Brandy France

Glavya Golden Herbs& spices Whisky Scotland

Kirsch Clear Cherry Cherry brandy France

Kahlua Brown Coffee Rum Mexico

Kummel Clear Caraway Neutral spirit East Europe
seeds
Maraschino Clear Maraschino Cherry brandy Italy
cherry
Parfait Amour Violet Violets, lemon Brandy France, Holland
peel & spices

Sambuca Clear Liquorice Neutral spirit Italy

Strega Yellow Herbs & barks Neutral spirit Italy

Tia Maria Brown Coffee Rum Jamaica

Van der Hum Amber Tangerine Brandy South Africa

Slivovitz Clear Plums Plum brandy East Europe

ANISETTE

French name for sweet, aniseed –flavored liqueur.

B &B
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Benedictine and brandy liqueur. Although Benedictine is based on cognac it is

sometimes taken with brandy.
Described as the worlds oldest liqueur because it was formulated in 1510.27 herbs
plants, and peels go into Benedictine. Production takes 3 years and 4 years of aging.

BAILEY’S IRISH CREAM

It is made in Dublin (Ireland) .the manufactures try to sell especially during the time of
Christmas. Bailey’s is a blend of Irish whiskey and cream flavored with cocoa,
bottled at 17% ABV.

CRÈME DE BANANE

Bananas macerated in spirit or artificial flavoring are used. An excellent banana liqueur
is made from Canary Islands. The bottle is shaped like a bunch of bananas.

CRÈME DE CASSIS

Blackcurrant liqueur from Dijon area in France. Made by maceration of blackcrrant in

spirit.

COINTREAU

One of the most popular branded liqueurs, cointreau is a variety of Curacao. This
means it is a brandy based spirit that has been flavored with rind of bitter oranges.
When it was launched in 1849 by the cointreau brothers it was sold under the brand
name of “triple sec white Curacao” but so many other proprietary curacaos began to be
sold as the triple sec that own name instead. The centre of operation as a distillery is
located in the France town of angers in the Loire valley.

CURACAO

Originally the name for an orange flavoured liqueur, made from the dried peels of
green oranges from the Island Of Curacao off the coast of Venezuela. Sweet digestive
liqueur now made from grape spirit, sugar and orange peels. The name is now applies
to all orange liqueurs. After infusion, spirit is distilled - if resulting liquor undergoes
rectification it becomes Triple Sec Curacao which is then sweetened and
coloured.

DRAMBUIE

Original recipe was given by Bonnie Prince Charlie and the liqueur is still made by the
Mackinnon family of Edinburgh. Made from a base of fine single malt scotch to which
are added heather honey and herbs. It is the oldest whisky liqueur.

GRAND MARNIER
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It is one of the world’s most famous liqueurs. A French Curacao invented in 1880, it is a
blend of the finest cognacs with wild bitter oranges from the tropics. The bottle
has a red ribbon, traditional seal and a unique shape. There are two versions - Cordon
Jaune and Cordon Rouge.

KAHLUA

The only liqueur to have been founded in Mexico. Kahlua is dark brown coffee
flavoured essence. It is compared to Tia Maria it is slightly thicker in texture and less
sweet than Tia Maria. It includes spices like vanilla and nutmeg.

CRÈME DE ROSE

Delicate rose petal liqueur made with vanilla and sometimes citrus oils.

SOUTHERN COMFORT

One of the American liqueurs .in additions to peach, it has hint of orange & herbs. it is
dry and strong with the base of whisky.

TIA MARIA

Jamaica’s contribution to the world of liqueurs, Tia Maria is deep brown coffee
flavoured drink based on a recipe around 3 centuries old. It is bases on good dark
Jamaican rum of at least 5 years old and flavoured with the beans of variety .local
spices like vanilla are also added.

SERVICE OF LIQUEURS

Liqueurs are usually served straight up in a liqueur glass. As they are normally served
alongside coffee, the liqueur glass is placed at the right of the coffee cup, but not near
the edge of the table. Liqueurs may also be served frapped, and in this case, they may
be served in a variety of glasses, including champagne saucer and cocktail glass.

Service varies a little when there is liqueur trolley present, and in this case, the trolley is
rolled to the guest and the chosen liqueur served at the guests table in the glass and
served.

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