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For me, cognac and brandy are just the sippers I saw my grandparents enjoying after a hearty family meal, and the differences between them seemed minuscule or perhaps unimportant. But actually, the two brown spirits have some complicated similarities and differences. They are kinda the same, but also not? I know, it's confusing, so let's just jump into it.
What is brandy?
Brandy is a term that covers a lot of alcohol. The technical definition is a spirit made from distilling any type of fermented fruit. So, technically, wine is a kind of brandy, though most cultures wouldn't refer to vino that way. Most brandies hover around 90 to 100 proof and have a pretty sweet flavor. It's traditional to drink one as a digestif, as my grandparents do, and although it is a brown color, it's not whiskey.
As you read further, things are going to get a bit more complicated, as brandy has many different subsets. But just remember that brandy is distilled fruit juice, okay?
What is cognac?
You know how every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square? That's brandy and cognac. Every cognac is a brandy, but not all brandy is a cognac.
As previously mentioned, brandy is distilled fruit juice, and it can be any kind of fruit juice, while cognac is a specific type of distilled fruit juice with lots of qualifications.
Cognac comes from the Cognac region of southwestern France, and is made with a fruit juice base of white grapes. It also undergoes two rounds of distillation between October 1 and March 31. Yes, it's a very strict process for cognac to be cognac!
You'll probably also notice a qualification on cognac bottle labels, too. VS means Very Special, and refers to a cognac that has been aged for at least two years. VSOP means Very Superior Old Pale, for a cognac that has aged for four or more years. And XO means Extra Old, for a cognac that has aged six or more years.
Whew! So, main takeaway here—cognac is a type of brandy made in a very specific region of France with very specific grapes and very specific qualifications.
What brands of cognac have I heard of?
You're likely familiar with brands like Hennessy, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, and Martell. All of these are cognacs, but also all are brandies. You've got it, right?
What other types of brandy are there?
You've probably heard of grappa, another grape-based brandy made from leftover wine that's generally associated with Italy, and pisco, a clear brandy that hails from Peru. But there's also calvados, an apple brandy from France, and armagnac, another grape brandy from France. Long live the French and their dedication to the art of fermented fruit juices!
