Calvados, Pisco and More: A Guide to the Wide World of Brandy

Brandy represents one of the biggest, broadest and most beautiful spirits categories. It’s also one of the most confusing, because it’s made all over the world from a wide range of raw materials (primarily, fermented fruit juice).

What Kind of Alcohol Is Brandy?

The vast majority of brandies are distilled either from grapes (like Cognac, Armagnac, grappa and pisco) or apples (like Calvados, applejack and apple brandy) and have an alcohol by volume of 35% to 60%.

There is a smaller category of brandies (some aged, some unaged, the latter called eau de vie) made from pretty much any kind of fruit: peaches, cherries, plums—you name it.

What Makes a Good Brandy?

While all brandies will have different flavor profiles depending on what they’re distilled from and if they are aged or not, look for bottles that have defined fruit notes, a smooth finish and balanced taste.

Some of the most famous brandy brands include Duseé, Hennessy and Martell. And the best-selling brand is Mansion House.

Deciphering Brandy Labels

The initials of VS, VSOP and XO often appear on brandy labels, Cognacs especially. This is because Cognacs are a blend of brandies of various ages, and they’re given designations instead of a single age or vintage.

VS means Very Special, with the youngest eau de vie in the blend no less than two years old.

VSOP means Very Old Superior Pale, with the youngest eau de vie at least four years old.

XO means Extra Old, with the youngest eau de vie at least six years old.

Most of the Cognac sold in the U.S. is either VS or VSOP.

These designations usually are applied to Cognac, although sometimes, they’re seen on other French brandies, like Boulard Calvados and Darvelle Freres, and the occasional American brandy label, like E&J.

In addition to these designations, which often blend a range of ages, a number of Armagnac producers—like Château de Laubade—also release brandies with specific vintage designations.

Brandies from Around the World to Enjoy

A number of countries, particularly in Europe, have distilled their local fruits for generations. Often, those varieties are marketed under the name used in their home countries. This includes:

Slivovitz, a plum brandy from Eastern Europe.
Kirschwasser, a cherry brandy from Germany and Austria.
Rakia, an apricot brandy from Central Europe.
Grappa, a brandy from Italy distilled from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes, usually those left over from the winemaking process.
Pisco, a particularly aromatic grape-based brandy. Usually, it’s from Peru, unaged and rested in neutral vessels for a minimum of three months.
Brandy de Jerez, a Spanish brandy from the same region where Sherry is produced.

The most famous brandies are French. This includes Cognac and Armagnac, which are both grape brandies, and Calvados, an apple brandy made in France’s Normandy region. (Sometimes, Calvados is also made with pear. It tends to have a rich, baked-apple flavor.)

American Brandy

America makes plenty of brandies, and from all kinds of fruit.

California’s Germain-Robin, in particular, makes a number of bottlings worth trying, which are often varietal-specific including single-barrel Riesling and Pinot Noir brandy.

Two subcategories are worth singling out: Straight apple brandy refers to American apple brandy. Applejack, produced historically by freeze distillation, or “jacking,” is typically a combination of apple brandy and neutral grain spirit. Often aged in American oak like Bourbon, applejack often tastes like a cross between apple brandy and whiskey.

How to Drink Brandy

Save more expensive or rare Cognacs for sipping neat. “Consider trying a rocks glass instead of a snifter,” advises Kara Newman, Wine Enthusiast’s spirits reviewer. “I find that the narrowing of the glass concentrates alcohol in an unpleasant way, and prefer an open glass for enjoying aromas while the alcohol can dissipate.”

How to Mix Brandy into Cocktails

The rich, deep flavor of brandies makes it an excellent cocktail ingredient. Try it in the roustabout, a variation on a Manhattan made with Calvados; the classic pisco sour; a chai hot toddy; the brandy Alexander, essentially a boozy milkshake; the frozen brandy slush; the Jack Rose, a bright red cocktail made with applejack; the Campari After Dark, a spirit-forward drink made with Laird’s apple brandy; and the Vieux Carré, a drink made with Cognac that originated in New Orleans in the 1930s.