49-432: A Brandy Alexander is a brandy -based dessert cocktail consisting of cognac , crème de cacao , and cream, that became popular during the early 20th century. It is a variation of an earlier, gin-based cocktail called simply an Alexander . The cocktail known as Alexander today may contain gin or brandy . Ice cream can be added for a "frozen Brandy Alexander". There are many rumours about its origins. Some sources say it
98-502: A " fruit brandy " or "fruit spirit" or named using the specific fruit, such as "peach brandy", rather than just generically as "brandy". If pomace is the raw material, the beverage may be called " pomace brandy ", "marc brandy", "grape marc", "fruit marc spirit", or "grape marc spirit", "marc" being the pulp residue after the juice has been pressed from the fruit. Grape pomace brandy may be designated as " grappa " or "grappa brandy". Apple brandy may be referred to as "applejack" , although
147-558: A brandy factory in Tbilisi , Georgia, a crossroads for Turkish, Central Asian, and Persian trade routes and a part of the Russian Empire at the time. Except for a few major producers, brandy production and consumption tend to have a regional character, and thus production methods significantly vary. Wine brandy is produced from a variety of grape cultivars. A special selection of cultivars, providing distinct aroma and character,
196-507: A consistent house style and quality. In this respect, it is similar to the process of blending whisky or non-vintage Champagne to achieve a consistent brand flavor. A very small number of producers, such as Guillon Painturaud and Moyet , do not blend their final product from different ages of eaux de vie , so produce a "purer" flavour. Hundreds of vineyards in the Cognac AOC region sell their own cognac. These are likewise blended from
245-708: A large percentage of cognac—more than 90% for the US market—comes from only four producers: Courvoisier (owned by the Campari Group ), Hennessy ( LVMH ), Martell ( Pernod Ricard ), and Rémy Martin ( Rémy Cointreau ). Other brands meeting the AOC criteria for cognac include Bache-Gabrielsen/Dupuy , Braastad , Camus , La Fontaine de La Pouyade , Château Fontpinot, Delamain , Pierre Ferrand, Frapin , Gautier , Hine , Marcel Ragnaud, Monnet , Moyet , Otard , Meukow , and Cognac Croizet . In 2017, an agreement between
294-418: A more intense flavour in some soups, notably onion soup. In English Christmas cooking, brandy is a common flavouring in traditional foods such as Christmas cake , brandy butter , and Christmas pudding . It is also commonly used in drinks such as mulled wine and eggnog , drunk during the festive season. Brandy is used to flambé dishes such as crêpe Suzette and cherries jubilee while serving. Brandy
343-482: A single distillation. A portion was ignited to test the purity of the rectified spirit of wine. The liquor was good if a fire consumed the entire contents without leaving any impurities behind. Another, better test involved putting a little gunpowder in the bottom of the spirit. The liquor was good if the gunpowder could ignite after the spirit was consumed by fire. (Hence the modern " proof " to describe alcohol content.) As most brandies have been distilled from grapes,
392-481: A white drink at a dinner celebrating Phoebe Snow , a character in a popular advertising campaign in the early 20th century. John Lennon was introduced to it on March 12, 1974, by Harry Nilsson , on Lennon's so-called "lost weekend". The pair began heckling the Smothers Brothers , and whilst being ejected Lennon allegedly assaulted a waitress. Lennon later said the drinks "tasted like milkshakes ". In
441-411: Is also used as a flavoring in foods. Pastry dishes often pair cognac with flavors such as apple , raisin , prune , vanilla , and chocolate . "The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) is a French organization that oversees the production, promotion, and protection of Cognac. The BNIC's primary responsibilities include setting and enforcing the standards for Cognac production, ensuring
490-482: Is traditionally poured over a Christmas pudding and set alight before serving. The use of flambé can retain as much as 75% of the alcohol in the brandy. In the 19th century, brandy was often used as medical treatment due to its alleged "stimulating" qualities. It was also used by many European explorers of tropical Africa, who suggested that regular, moderate doses of brandy might help a traveller to cope with fever, depression, and stress. These views fell out of favour in
539-409: Is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif . Some brandies are aged in wooden casks . Others are coloured with caramel colouring to imitate the effect of aging, and some are produced using a combination of aging and colouring. Varieties of wine brandy can be found across the winemaking world. Among the most renowned are Cognac and Armagnac from south-western France . In a broader sense,
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#1732766007351588-457: Is used for high-quality brandies, while cheaper ones are made from whichever wine is available. Brandy is made from so-called base wine , which significantly differs from regular table wines. It is made from early grapes to achieve higher acid concentration and lower sugar levels. Base wine generally contains smaller amounts (up to 20 mg/L) of sulphur than regular wines, as it creates undesired copper(II) sulfate in reaction with copper in
637-601: Is very dry, acidic, and thin. Though it has been characterised as "virtually undrinkable", it is excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties. For it to be considered a true cru cognac, the white wine must be made from at least 90% Ugni blanc (known in Italy as Trebbiano ), Folle blanche and Colombard , while up to 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan, Jurançon blanc , Meslier St-François (also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect, Montils , or Sémillon . Cognacs that are not to carry
686-653: The Ararat brandy brand was established in Yerevan , Armenia. It became one of the top brandy brands over time and during the Yalta Conference , Winston Churchill was so impressed with the Armenian brandy Dvin given to him by Joseph Stalin that he asked for several cases of it to be sent to him each year. Reportedly 400 bottles of Dvin were shipped to Churchill annually. In 1884, David Sarajishvili founded
735-632: The commune of Cognac, France . It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime . Cognac production falls under French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designation, with production methods and naming required to meet certain legal requirements. Among the specified grapes, Ugni blanc , known locally as Saint-Émilion, is most widely used. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais . Cognac matures in
784-408: The eaux de vie of different years, but they are single-vineyard cognacs, varying slightly from year to year and according to the taste of the producer, hence lacking some of the predictability of the better-known commercial products. Depending on their success in marketing, small producers may sell a larger or smaller proportion of their product to individual buyers, wine dealers, bars and restaurants,
833-401: The pot stills . The yeast sediment produced during the fermentation may or may not be kept in the wine, depending on the brandy style. Brandy is distilled from the base wine in two phases. First, a large part of water and solids is removed from the base, obtaining so-called "low wine", a concentrated wine with 28–30% ABV. In the second stage, low wine is distilled into brandy. The liquid exits
882-538: The 15th century. In the early 16th-century French brandy helped kickstart the cross-Atlantic triangle trade when it took over the central role of the Portuguese fortified wine due to its higher alcohol content and ease of shipping. Canoemen and guards on the African side of the trade were generally paid in brandy. By the late 17th century, the cheaper rum had replaced brandy as the exchange alcohol of choice in
931-451: The 1728 edition of Cyclopaedia , the following method was used to distill brandy: A cucurbit was filled half full of the liquor from which brandy was to be drawn and then raised with a little fire until about one-sixth part was distilled, or until that which falls into the receiver was entirely flammable. This liquor, distilled only once, was called the spirit of wine or brandy . Purified by another distillation (or several more), this
980-442: The 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses , alcoholic Joe Clay, played by Jack Lemmon , takes Kirsten Arnesen, played by Lee Remick , out on a date. When she explains that she dislikes liquor but likes chocolate, he orders her a Brandy Alexander. This begins Kirsten's descent into alcoholism. In the 1981 film Tattoo , Bruce Dern takes Maud Adams out for dinner and orders a Brandy Alexander. When she comments that he does not look
1029-579: The Brandy Alexander type, he replies, "I like the foam...it reminds me of the ocean." In the James Gray movie Two Lovers , Michelle ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) tells Leonard ( Joaquin Phoenix ) she drinks Brandy Alexanders with her boyfriend Ronald, a rich lawyer. Leonard orders one at a restaurant to impress her, but ruins the effect by mistaking the stirrer for a straw. In the 1970 pilot of
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#17327660073511078-702: The English term "brandy", but outside the German-speaking countries , it is particularly used to designate brandy from Austria and Germany . Brandy has a traditional age grading system, although its use is unregulated outside of Cognac and Armagnac . These indicators can usually be found on the label near the brand name: In the case of Brandy de Jerez , the Consejo Regulador de la Denominacion Brandy de Jerez classifies it according to: Russian brandy (traditionally called "Cognac" within
1127-555: The European Union and Armenia was signed, whereby Armenian producers will abandon the usage of the protected geographic name "cognac" from 2043. The name "cognac" will be prohibited for the domestic Armenian market from 2032. Cocktails marked with "IBA" are designated as IBA official cocktails by the International Bartenders Association . In addition to being drunk as a beverage, cognac
1176-452: The appearance of barrel ageing. Brandy is traditionally served at room temperature ( neat ) from a snifter , a wine glass or a tulip glass . When consumned at room temperature, it is often slightly warmed by holding the glass cupped in the palm or by gentle heating. Excessive heating of brandy may cause the alcohol vapour to become too strong, causing its aroma to become overpowering. Brandy-drinkers who like their brandy warmed may ask for
1225-402: The case of the larger and more commercial producers) from different local areas. This blending, or marriage , of different eaux de vie is important to obtain a complexity of flavours absent from an eau de vie from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster ( maître de chai ), who is responsible for blending the spirits, so that cognac produced by a company will have
1274-424: The cognac's alcohol content decreases to 40% in volume. The cognac is then transferred to "large glass bottles called bonbonnes", then stored for future "blending." Since oak barrels stop contributing to flavor after four or five decades, longer aging periods may not be beneficial. The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest component used in the blend. The blend is usually of different ages and (in
1323-418: The country), as well as brandies from many other post-Soviet states, uses the traditional Russian grading system that is similar to the French one, but extends it significantly: Cognac Cognac ( / ˈ k ɒ n . j æ k / KON -yak , also US : / ˈ k oʊ n -, ˈ k ɔː n -/ KOHN -, KAWN - , French: [kɔɲak] ) is a variety of brandy named after
1372-480: The four Brandy Alexanders motif in his 1995 novel Faserland . In Kurt Vonnegut's book, Mother Night , the protagonist suspects that an overly flattering article in the Herald Tribune about his neighbor was "written by a pansy full of Brandy Alexanders." Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine . Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof ) and
1421-736: The glass to be heated before the brandy is poured. Brandy may be added to other beverages to make several popular cocktails ; these include the Brandy Sour , the Brandy Alexander , the Sidecar , the Brandy Daisy , and the Brandy Old Fashioned . Anglo-Indian usage has "brandy-pawnee" (brandy with water). Brandy is a common deglazing liquid used in making pan sauces for steak and other meat. It creates
1470-440: The grapes are grown. Their distinctive soils and microclimates produce eaux de vie with characteristics particular to their specific location. The cognac-producing regions called Champagne should not be confused with the northeastern region of Champagne , a wine region that produces sparkling wine by that name , although they do share a common etymology . Close to 200 cognac producers exist. According to one 2008 estimate
1519-494: The late nineteenth and early twentieth century, with suggestions that people were using brandy's "medical" qualities as an excuse for social drinking. The term brandy is a shortening of the archaic English brandewine or brandywine , which was derived from the Dutch word brandewijn , itself derived from gebrande wijn , which literally means "burned wine" and whose cognates include brännvin and brennivín . In Germany,
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1568-430: The name of a cru are freer in the allowed grape varieties, needing at least 90% Colombard, Folle blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon, or Ugni blanc, and up to 10% Folignan or Sélect. After the grapes are pressed , the juice is left to ferment for 2–3 weeks, with the region's native wild yeast converting the fruit sugars into alcohol ; neither sugar nor sulphur may be added. At this point,
1617-403: The original distilled spirit. In addition to removing water, the distillation process led to the formation and decomposition of numerous aromatic compounds, fundamentally altering the distillate composition from its source. Non-volatile substances such as pigments, sugars, and salts remained behind in the still. As a result, the distillate taste was often quite unlike the sources. As described in
1666-414: The pot still in three phases, referred to as the "heads", "heart", and "tails", respectively. The first part, the "head", has an alcohol concentration of about 83% (166 US proof) and an unpleasant odour. The weak portion on the end, the "tail", is discarded along with the head, and they are generally mixed with another batch of low wine, thereby entering the distillation cycle again. The middle heart fraction,
1715-456: The process of jacking which was originally used in its production involved no distillation. There is also a product called "grain brandy" that is made from grain spirits. Within particular jurisdictions, specific regulatory requirements regarding the labelling of products identified as brandy exist. For example: Within the European Union, the German term Weinbrand is legally equivalent to
1764-413: The public. It is typically put into casks at an alcohol by volume strength around 70%. As the cognac interacts with the oak barrel and the air, it evaporates at the rate of about 3% each year, slowly losing both alcohol and water (the former more rapidly, as it is more volatile). This phenomenon is called locally la part des anges , or "the angels' share". When more than ten years pass in the oak barrel,
1813-530: The regions of the world producing excellent brandies have roughly paralleled those areas producing grapes for viniculture. At the end of the 19th century, the western European markets, including by extension their overseas empires, were dominated by French and Spanish brandies and eastern Europe was dominated by brandies from the Black Sea region , including Bulgaria , the Crimea , Georgia and Armenia . In 1877,
1862-565: The remainder being acquired by larger cognac houses for blending. According to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), the official quality grades of cognac are: Most names of the grades are in English because the historical cognac trade, particularly in the 18th century, significantly involved the British. Cognac is also classified by crus , tightly defined geographic denominations where
1911-485: The resulting wine is about 7 to 8% alcohol. Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper alembic stills , the design and dimensions of which are also legally controlled. Two distillations must be carried out; the resulting eau de vie is a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol. Once distillation is complete, it must be aged in Limousin oak casks for at least two years before it can be sold to
1960-402: The richest in aromas and flavours, is preserved for later maturation. Distillation does not simply enhance the alcohol content of wine. The heat under which the product is distilled and the material of the still (usually copper) cause chemical reactions during distillation. This leads to the formation of numerous new volatile aroma components, changes in relative amounts of aroma components in
2009-402: The same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer "on the wood" than the minimum legal requirement. Cognac is a type of brandy, and after the distillation and during the aging process, is also called eau de vie . It is produced by twice distilling wine made from grapes grown in any of the designated growing regions. The white wine used in making cognac
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2058-464: The television series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show , the namesake character adds to a running gag by asking for a Brandy Alexander during a job interview. The character Brandy Alexander in the novel Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk is named after the drink. Anthony Blanche orders four "Alexandra cocktails" in Evelyn Waugh 's novel Brideshead Revisited . Christian Kracht repeats
2107-408: The term Branntwein refers to any distilled spirits, while Weinbrand refers specifically to distilled wine from grapes. In the general colloquial usage of the term, brandy may also be made from pomace and from fermented fruit other than grapes. If a beverage comes from a particular fruit (or multiple fruits) other than exclusively grapes, or from the must of such fruit, it may be referred to as
2156-482: The term brandy also denotes liquors obtained from the distillation of pomace (yielding pomace brandy ), or mash or wine of any other fruit ( fruit brandy ). These products are also called eau de vie (literally "water of life" in French ). The origins of brandy are tied to the development of distillation . While the process was known in classical times, it was not significantly used for beverage production until
2205-432: The triangle trade. Initially, wine was distilled as a preservation method and to make it easier for merchants to transport. It is also thought that wine was originally distilled to lessen the tax, which was assessed by volume. The intent was to add the water removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly before consumption. It was discovered that after being stored in wooden casks , the resulting product improved over
2254-533: The unaged brandy is placed into oak barrels to mature. Usually, brandies with a natural golden or brown colour are aged in oak casks (single-barrel ageing). Some brandies, particularly those from Spain, are aged using the solera system, where the producer changes the barrel each year. After a period of ageing, which depends on the style, class and legal requirements, the mature brandy is mixed with distilled water to reduce alcohol concentration and bottled. Some brandies have caramel colour and sugar added to simulate
2303-570: The wine, and the hydrolysis of components such as esters. Brandy is usually produced in pot stills ( batch distillation ), but the column still can also be used for continuous distillation . The distillate obtained in this manner has a higher alcohol concentration (approximately 90% ABV) and is less aromatic. The choice of the apparatus depends on the style of brandy produced. Cognac and South African brandy are examples of brandy produced in batches while many American brandies use fractional distillation in column stills. After distillation,
2352-403: Was called spirit of wine rectified . The second distillation was made in [a] balneo mariae and in a glass cucurbit, and the liquor was distilled to about one-half the quantity. This was further rectified as long as the operator thought it necessary to produce brandy. To shorten these several distillations, which were long and troublesome, a chemical instrument was invented that reduced them to
2401-583: Was created at the time of the London wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles in 1922. Drama critic and Algonquin Round Table member Alexander Woollcott said it was named after him. Other sources say it was named after the Russian tsar Alexander II . The drink was possibly named after Troy Alexander, a bartender at Rector's , a New York City restaurant, who created the drink in order to serve
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