Brandy

Brandy is simply spirit distilled from fermented fruit juice. While grapes are the classic base, you will also find styles made from apples, pears, and apricots. The taste is incredibly diverse, ranging from bright, fresh, and fruity to deep, complex, and oaky. The biggest variations come from the fruit used and how long the spirit has spent aging in wooden barrels, which rounds out the heat and adds warm spice notes.

When choosing a bottle, look at the label for age indicators like VS, VSOP, or XO, which tell you how long the brandy has matured in oak. Younger brandies are vibrant and mix beautifully into classic cocktails like a Sidecar. Older, oak-aged expressions develop rich flavours of dried fruit, vanilla, and toasted nuts. These are best enjoyed neat at room temperature, perhaps alongside dark chocolate or after a hearty dinner.