A cucurbit was filled half full of the liquor from which brandy was to be drawn and then raised

with a little
fire until about one sixth part was distilled, or until that which falls into the receiver was entirely
flammable. This liquor, distilled only once, was called spirit of wine or brandy. Purified by another
distillation (or several more), this was then called spirit of wine rectified. The second distillation was
made in balneo mariae and in a glass cucurbit, and the liquor was distilled to about one half the
quantity. This was further rectifiedas long as the operator thought necessaryto produce brandy.
To shorten these several distillations, which were long and troublesome, a chemical instrument was
invented that reduced them to a single distillation. To test the purity of the rectified spirit of wine, a
portion was ignited. If the entire contents were consumed by a fire without leaving any impurities
behind, then the liquor was good. Another, better test involved putting a little gunpowder in the bottom
of the spirit. If the gunpowder could ignite after the spirit was consumed by fire, then the liquor was
good.[7]
As most brandies have been distilled from grapes, the regions of the world producing excellent brandies
have roughly paralleled those areas producing grapes for viniculture. At the end of the 19th century, the
western European markets, including by extension their overseas empires, were dominated by French
and Spanish brandies and eastern Europe was dominated by brandies from the Black Sea region,
including Bulgaria, the Crimea, and Georgia. In 1884, David Sarajishvili founded his brandy factory in
Tbilisi, Georgia, a crossroads for Turkish, Central Asian, and Persian trade routes and a part of the
Russian Empire at the time.[8] Armenian and Georgian brandies, called cognacs in the era, were
considered some of the best in the world and often beat their French competitors at the International
Expositions in Paris and Brussels in the early 1900s.[citation needed] The storehouses of the Romanov Court
in St. Petersburg were regarded as the largest collections of cognacs and wines in the world with much
of it from the Transcaucasus region of Georgia. During the October Revolution of 1917, upon the
storming of the Winter Palace, the Bolshevik Revolution actually paused for a week or so as the
participants gorged on the substantial stores of cognac and wines. The Russian market was always a
huge brandy-consuming region in which home-grown varieties were common but much of it was
imported. The patterns of bottles followed that of the western European norm. Throughout the Soviet
era, the production of brandy was a source of pride for the communist regime as they continued to
produce some excellent varieties, especially the most famous Jubilee Brandies of 1967, 1977, and
1987.[citation needed] Remaining bottles of these productions are highly sought after, not simply for their
quality, but for their historical significance.[citation needed]

Technology[edit]
Except for few major producers, brandy production and consumption tend to have a regional character
and thus production methods significantly vary. Wine brandy is produced from a variety of grape
cultivars. A special selection of cultivars, providing distinct aroma and character, is used for high-quality
brandies, while cheaper ones are made from whichever wine is available.[9]
Brandy is made from so-called base wine, which significantly differs from regular table wines. It is made
from early grapes in order to achieve higher acid concentration and lower sugar levels. Base wine
generally contains smaller amount (up to 20 mg/l) of sulphur than regular wines, as it creates
undesired copper(II) sulfate in reaction with copper in the pot stills. The yeast sediment produced during
the fermentation may or may not be kept in the wine, depending on the brandy style.[9]
Brandy is distilled from the base wine in two phases. In the first, large part of water and solids is
removed from the base, obtaining so-called "low wine", basically a concentrated wine with 2830%
ABV. In the second stage, low wine is distilled into brandy. The liquid exits the pot still in three phases,
referred to as the "heads", "heart" and "tails" respectively. The first part, the "head," has an alcohol
concentration of about 83% (166 US proof) and an unpleasant odour. The weak portion on the end,
"tail", is discarded along with the head, and they are generally mixed with another batch of low wine,
thereby entering the distillation cycle again. The middle heart fraction, richest in aromas and flavours, is
preserved for later maturation.[9]

Distillation does not simply enhance the alcohol content of wine. The heat under which the product is
distilled and the material of the still (usually copper) cause chemical reactions to take place during
distillation. This leads to the formation of numerous new volatile aroma components, changes in relative
amounts of aroma components in the wine, and the hydrolysis of components such as esters.
Brandy is usually produced in pot stills (batch distillation), but the column still can also be used
for continuous distillation. Distillate obtained in this manner has a higher alcohol concentration
(approximately 90% ABV) and is less aromatic. Choice of the apparatus depends on the style of brandy
produced.[9] Cognac and South African brandy are examples of brandy produced in batches[9] while
many American brandies use fractional distillation in column stills.[citation needed]

Aging[edit]
After distillation, the unaged brandy is placed into oak barrels to mature. Usually, brandies with a
natural golden or brown colour are aged in oak casks (single-barrel aging). Some brandies, particularly
those from Spain, are aged using the solera system, where the producer changes the barrel each year.
After a period of aging, which depends on the style, class and legal requirements, the mature brandy is
mixed with distilled water to reduce alcohol concentration and bottled. Some brandies have caramel
colour and sugar added to simulate the appearance of barrel aging.[9]

Consumption[edit]
Serving[edit]
Brandy is traditionally served at room temperature (neat) from a snifter, a wine glass or a tulip glass.
When drunk at room temperature, it is often slightly warmed by holding the glass cupped in the palm or
by gentle heating. Excessive heating of brandy may cause the alcohol vapour to become too strong,
causing its aroma to become overpowering. Brandy drinkers who like their brandy warmed may ask for
the glass to be heated before the brandy is poured.[10]
Brandy may be added to other beverages to make several popular cocktails; these include the Brandy
Sour, the Brandy Alexander, the Sidecar, the Brandy Daisy, and the Brandy Old Fashioned.

Culinary uses[edit]
Brandy is a common deglazing liquid used in making pan sauces for steak and other meat. It is used to
create a more intense flavour in some soups, notably onion soup.
In English Christmas cooking, brandy is a common flavouring in traditional foods such as Christmas
cake, brandy butter, and Christmas pudding. It is also commonly used in drinks such as mulled wine,
drunk during the festive season.
Brandy is used to flamb dishes such as crpe Suzette and cherries jubilee while serving.[2] Brandy is
traditionally poured over Christmas pudding and set alight. The flames consume most of the alcohol but
the pudding is left with a distinctive flavour.

Terminology and legal definitions[edit]

The term brandy is a shortening of brandywine, which was derived from the Dutch word brandewijn,
itself derived from gebrande wijn, which literally means "burned wine".[11]
In the general colloquial usage of the term, brandy may also be made from pomace and from fermented
fruit other than grapes.[2]
If a beverage comes from a particular fruit (or multiple fruits) other than exclusively grapes, or from
the must of such fruit, it may be referred to as a "fruit brandy" or "fruit spirit" or named using the specific
fruit, such as "peach brandy", rather than just generically as "brandy". If pomace is the raw material, the
beverage may be called "pomace brandy", "marc brandy", "grape marc", "fruit marc spirit", or "grape
marc spirit"; "marc" being the pulp residue after the juice has been pressed from the fruit.

Grape pomace brandy may be designated as "grappa" or "grappa brandy".[12] Apple brandy may be
referred to as "applejack".[12] There is also a product called "grain brandy" that is made from grain
spirits.[13]
Within particular jurisdictions, there are specific regulatory requirements regarding the labelling of
products identified as brandy. For example:

In the European Union, there are regulations[14] that require products labelled as brandy, except
"grain brandy", to be produced exclusively from the distillation or redistillation of grape-based wine
or grape-based "wine fortified for distillation" and aged a minimum of six months in oak.[15] Alcoholic
beverages imported to the EU from the United States or other non-EU states can be sold within the
European Union using labels that refer to them as "fruit brandy" or "pomace brandy", but such a
label cannot be used in the EU for products produced in an EU-member state.[citation needed]
In the US, brandy that has been produced from other than grape wine must be labelled with a
clarifying description of the type of brandy production such as "peach brandy",