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Types of alcoholic beverages I.
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Brandy
(shor t for brandywine,from Dutch
brandewijn
—fire wine) is a generaltermfor distilled  wine, usually 40–60%ethyl alcoholby volume. In addition to wine, thisspiritcan also be made fromgrapepomace or fermented fruitjuice. Unless specified otherwise,brandy is made from grape wine. It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink.The originsof brandy are unclear, and tied to thedevelopmentof distillation. Concentratedalcoholic beverageswere known in ancientGreeceandRomeand may have a history going back to ancientBabylon. Brandy as it is known today first began toappear in the 12th century and became generally popular in the 14th century.Initially wine was distilled as apreservationmethod and as a way to make the wine easier for merchantsto transport. It was also thought that wine was originally distilled tolessen the tax which was assessed by volume. The intent was to add thewater  removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly before consumption.It was discovered that after having been stored inwooden casks, theresulting product had improved over the original distilled spirit. Also, thedistillation process doesn't just remove water, but actually leads to theformation and break-up of dozens of aroma compounds that were presentin the wine. This is why unaged wine spirits (unaged brandy) that is dilutedback to wine alcohol strength tastes nothing like the original wine.Grape brandyGrape brandy is produced by the distillation of fermentedgrapejuice. There are four main subtypes of grape brandies.
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Cognac comes fromthe Cognac region in France, and isdouble distilledusingpot stills. Popular brands includeMartell,Rémy Martin,Hennessy,Ragnaud-Sabourin,DelamainandCourvoisier (a favourite drink of Napoleon).
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 Armagnacis made from grapes of the Armagnac region in Southwest of France (Gers, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne). It is single continuous distilled in a copper stills and aged in oak casks from Gascony or Limousin. Armagnacwas the first distilled spirit in France. Armagnacs have a specificity: they offer vintages qualities. Popular brands areDarroze, Baron de Sigognac, Larressingle, Delord, Laubade, Gélas and Janneau.
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Grape brandies from other countries such asSouth Africa,Spain,Mexicoetc. South African grape brandies are, by law, made almost exactly as in Cognac, using a double-distillationprocess in copper pot stillsfollowed by ageing in oak barrels for a minimum of three years.
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 American grape brandy is almost always fromCalifornia 
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Grape brandies are arguably best drunk in a tulip shaped glass or asnifter , at cool roomtemperature. Often it is slightly warmed, by holding the glass in the cup of the palm or gently heating with a candle.
However 
, heating it causes alcoholvapor tobecome very pungent so that the aromas are overpowered. Brandy, likewhiskyand redwine, exhibits more pleasant aromas and flavors at a lower temperature, e.g., 16 degrees Celsius (61degrees Fahrenheit). In most homes, this would imply that the brandy should in fact rather be cooled for maximum enjoyment. Furthermore, alcohol (which makes up 40% of atypical brandy) becomes thin as it is heated, but more viscous when cooled leading to a fuller and smoother mouthfeel with less of a burning sensation. TheEuropean Union legally enforcesCognacas the exclusive name for brandy produced and distilled in theCognacarea of France, and Armagnacfrom the Gascony area of France, using traditional techniques.Pomace brandyPomace brandyis produced from fermented grape pulp, seeds, and stems that remain after the grapes are pressed for their juice. Examples include the Italiangrappaand the Frenchmarc.Fruit brandyFruit brandies are distilled from fruits other than grapes. Apple, plum, peach,cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and apricot are the most commonly used fruit. Fruitbrandy is usually clear, 80 to 90proof , and usually drunk chilled or over ice.Calvadosis anapplebrandy from theFrenchregion of Lower Normandy. Apple is pressed into cider, fermented with yeast and double distilled.Kirschwasser is a fruit brandy made from cherries.Slivovitzis a fruit brandy made from plums. Ageing A brandy can be aged in one of three main ways.
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No ageing: Many pomace and fruit brandies are not aged after distillation. The resulting product is typically aclear liquid.
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Single barrel ageing: Brandies that have a golden or brown color have been aged inoak casks.
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Solera process: Some brandies are aged using thesolerasystem. Brandies fromSpainare typical of this variation.The solera system
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