We know they’re both delicious, but what are they and are they the same thing?
Brandy is a classic bar cart staple – its versatility means you can sip it neat, use it as an ingredient in your favourite Christmas pudding, as well as mix classic cocktails like the Brandy Alexander. If you’ve ever had a hunch that brandy and Cognac are similar and wondered what exactly the difference between the two is, you’re not alone.
Just as there are different types of wine, there are also types of brandy. Cognac is a type of brandy produced with grapes from the Cognac region of France. You might notice ‘AOC’ or ‘appellation d'origine contrôlée’ printed on bottles of Cognac. This refers to the ‘controlled designation of origin’ which is a type of certification to authenticate the geographic region from which the product originates. In this case, it’s a way for producers of Cognac to indicate that their product is from the Cognac region of France.
If it’s not from the Cognac region, it can’t take the name ‘Cognac’.
So similarly to how all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne, so too all Cognac is brandy… but not all brandy is Cognac.
What is brandy?
Before we get into the specifics of Cognac, it’s worth knowing who’s who in the wider brandy scene, and brandy has a history that’s as long as it is widespread. It was ‘discovered’, in a commercial sense, during the 16th century after a Dutch merchant distilled French wine in order to transport more of the concentrated liquid back to the Netherlands. His plan was to add water to the casks on arrival, but everyone decided that the distilled spirit was actually a little bit of alright. The Dutch named it ‘brandewijn’, or ‘burnt wine’, which was eventually shortened to brandy.
Brandy is quite a loose classification. Although the first brandy was made from grapes, it can refer to any distilled spirit made from fruit. Hungarian palinka, for example, is made from a variety of fruits common to the region including apricots, plums and apples. Peru’s pisco – the base of a delicious pisco sour – is made from grapes, while Calvados, from France’s Normandy region, is the result of fermented apples. Ever experienced an eye-watering shot of Italian grappa? That’s brandy too, made from the skins, pulp, seeds and stems of grapes, olives and whatever other fruit is available.
What is Cognac and What are the different types of Cognac?
Cognacs are classified into one of three categories: VS, VSOP or XO. VS stands for ‘Very Special’, which is the most common designation. It means that a Cognac has been aged for at least two years, which is the minimum age for something to be designated as a Cognac. A VSOP, or ‘Very Superior Old Pale’, is a blend in which the youngest brandy has spent at least four years in oak. And XO, or ‘Extra Old’ is the most prestigious designation, given to a blend in which the youngest brandy has spent at least six years ageing.
“Cognac is unique because it can only be made in the Cognac region in southwest France, uses white grape juice, and requires a double distillation in a specifically designed copper pot still, called alembic charentais,”
By law, VS (Very Special) Cognac is a blend of Cognacs, the youngest of which is a minimum of two years old. VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) can’t contain Cognac that’s less than four years old. The youngest Cognac in XO (Extra Old) cannot be less than six years, and some are much older.
Most Cognacs are not just for sipping (though of course you should do that, too; still, it has to be said that mixing, for example, Remy Martin’s Louis XIII into a cocktail is not advisable). In cocktails, this brandy can play a hero’s role, and while Cognac-based drinks aren’t quite as common today as those made from, say, whiskey or tequila, there is a deep historical precedent. “Ironically, in 2023, it still surprises people when we state we can make cocktails with Cognac, but if you read Jerry Thomas’s book ‘The Bon Vivant Companion,’ written in 1862 (the first cocktail book ever released), you realize a lot of original recipes were made with ‘brandy.’ And back then, the brandy of choice was Cognac, as it was the most widely exported liquid,” noted Sullivan Doh, global brand ambassador for D’USSÉ. From highballs and Old Fashioneds to Sidecars, espresso martinis, and even Piña Coladas, Cognac has countless roles to play both on its own and on your bar cart. Here are eleven worth stocking up on.
What Cognacs are made of? I said earlier, GRAPES
From Ugni Blanc to Colombard to Folle Blanche, Montils, Sémillon and Folignan, Cognac is made from white grapes low in sugars and with high acidity to meet the criteria of the Charentais distillation.
Does brandy taste different to Cognac?
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