Brandy is probably the oldest distilled spirit in the West. In the Middle Ages, distilled grape wine was used to produce medicines and to fortify certain styles of wine to preserve them from spoiling. By 1310, the Armagnac region of France was already distilling wine and storing the eaux de vie (waters of life) in barrels to allow the spirit to mellow. From there, brandy distilling spread to other parts of Europe. 16th Century Dutch traders, who were buying and selling French wine, are credited for helping to create Cognac by double distilling the wine which concentrated it and made it easier to ship. The Dutch referred to this as brandewijn (burnt wine) and was later shortened to brandy.
Brandy can be made anywhere in the world. Historically the most popular styles have come from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United States, though South American and South African brandies are growing in popularity.
Brandy is defined as a distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice. The most common types of brandy are made from grapes or apples but any fruit can be used to make brandy, even dried fruit such as raisins or the leftover pulp, skins and stems (pomace) from making wine. In general, brandy can be made with any type of still, though certain styles of brandy such as Cognac, Armagnac, and Pisco specify specific stills.
France developed a system for indicating the age of the youngest brandy in a bottle; Very Special (VS, minimum 2 years old), Very Special Old Pale (VSOP, minimum 4 years old), and Extra Old (XO, minimum 10 years old). American brandy makers can use these designations but they are not enforced by US law. A brandy made in the US and labeled XO does not have to be a minimum of 10 years old.
Derived from Arabic, Alembic is a name used for some pot stills that have historically been used to make brandy.
An American term used for apple brandy. Some claim its origin derives from a colonial era process of fractional freezing called “jacking” where fermented apple cider was left to freeze overnight and the resulting ice was removed to increase the alcoholic strength of the drink. This process is not required today to label an apple brandy as applejack.
A term used to describe the earthy, mushroomy, nutty, or even buttery flavors that develop in brandies that are aged in oak barrels for over 10 years. Rancio is caused by the oxidation of oak tannins and is seen as a marker of very old and very good brandies.