Guide to Cognac: Learn About the Classic French Brandy

Cognac is a type of brandy—or distilled wine—that is made in the Cognac region of France. Cognac is made by distilling white wine and aging the product in oak barrels, but instead of distilling the spirit once like Armagnac, it is distilled twice. Cognac is sweet and rich, with notes of dried fruit, toffee, and syrup, making it a popular drink to enjoy with cigars as they complement each other. Cognac can be drunk by itself or used in cocktails like the French 75, the Sazerac, or the Sidecar. Typically, the alcohol content of Cognac is 40 ABV, but stronger proof Cognacs do exist.

Cognac is made mainly from three grape varieties, including ugni blanc, folle blanche, and colombard. Other grape varieties like sémillon and folignan can be used to make Cognac, but at least 90 percent of Cognac is made from the three main grapes.

Today, Cognac can only be produced in France, but the first records of Cognac production date back to the seventeenth century in Holland. French wine growers took notice of the Dutch method of distilling wine using the same process used to distill gin, and started making the spirit themselves. By the 1700s, several major Cognac distilleries were established in the Cognac region of France, with the most popular grape variety for making Cognac at the time being the Folle blanche.

In the 1870s, a plague of Phylloxera insects swept the region and decimated the grape crops. After the crisis, the folle blanche grapes were replaced by the ugni blanc grape as the most popular Cognac grape variety, which is currently the dominant grape used for Cognac production. Today, there are around 200 producers distilling Cognac in the region. More than 90 percent of the U.S. market is dominated by only four producers, three of which were established in the 1700s.

Cognac must be produced in the Cognac region of Limousin, France. There are six Cognac crus—or geographic regions with the proper environment to grow quality grapes—within the Cognac region of France. These crus are Grande-Champagne, Petite-Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires. These crus are determined by their terroir—referring to the unique characteristics of a region like climate, topography, and soil composition, and the effect they have on the flavor of the wine.

Brandy is a spirit made from distilling wine. Cognac is technically a brandy, but it is a blended form of the spirit, in which the grapes must come from the Cognac-producing regions of France. Not all brandy is Cognac, but all Cognac is technically brandy.

Here is an overview of how Cognac is made.

• Pressed and fermented grapes. After the grapes for the Cognac are harvested, they are pressed to create the juice that will become white wine. The solution ferments for about three weeks, allowing the sugars to ferment into a wine that contains about eight percent alcohol.
• Distilled white wine. Once the white wine is fermented, it is distilled twice using copper pot stills to become Cognac. In accordance with AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) and BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) regulations, Cognac cannot have sulfates, so it is distilled in the colder months in France, between October and May, to lessen the likelihood that the Cognac will develop sulfates. When the distillation process is done, the wine becomes a spirit containing about 70 percent alcohol.
• Aged spirit. After distillation, the spirit is left to age in oak barrels for at least two years, which produces a brandy called eau-de-vie. The French oak used in oak barrels gives the eau-de-vie its distinctive amber color.
• Blended eau-de-vie. Cognac is produced in this final stage when eau-de-vie of different ages and regions are blended by a master blender to make Cognac. Cognac is graded and labeled according to the age of the youngest brandy in the blend.

Cognac is graded depending on how it was produced and the ages of the Cognac used:

1. 1. Very Special (V.S.): V.S. Cognac is any Cognac in which the youngest brandy in the blend has been aged at least two years, which is the minimum age for Cognac.
2. 2. Very Superior Old Pale (V.S.O.P.): Also known as "reserve," V.S.O.P. is any Cognac where the youngest brandy in the blend has been aged for at least four years.
3. 3. Extra Old (X.O.): This is the highest grade of Cognac, where the youngest brandy in the blend has been aged at least ten years. Before 2018, the designation referred to Cognac with the youngest brandy at least six years. These Cognacs with the youngest brandy between six and ten years are now called "Napoleon" Cognacs.
4. 4. Hors d’âge: This designation, meaning “beyond age,” is officially part of the X.O. designation, but it typically refers to a Cognac in which the youngest brandy in the blend is no younger than 30 years old.

Here are three cocktails that use Cognac.

1. 1. French 75: The French 75 is a classic cocktail Champagne cocktail attributed to a bartender named Harry MacElhone at the New York Bar in Paris. Substitute gin for Cognac for a sweet spin on this cocktail, and lemon juice, simple syrup, champagne, and crushed ice.
2. 2. Between The Sheets: The Between the Sheets cocktail is a derivative of another classic cocktail, the Sidecar, adding light rum to the mix to lighten things up. To make, combine Cognac, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and light rum.
3. 3. Sazerac: The Sazerac is a sweet, bold, and herbaceous cocktail that evokes the French Quarter of New Orleans. Substitute Cognac for whiskey, and add in some sugar, bitters, and Herbsaint—a substitute for absinthe—to enjoy.
4. 4. Sidecar: Make a classic sweet and citrusy Sidecar cocktail by mixing together Cognac, white sugar, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.
5. 5. Vieux Carré: The Vieux Carré is a classic New Orleans-style drink, the name of which refers to the French term for The French Quarter, “the old square.” To make this potent drink, mix Cognac, sweet vermouth, rye whiskey, Benedictine Liqueur, and bitters.

Learn more about mixology from award-winning bartenders Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana. Refine your palate, explore the world of spirits, and shake up the perfect cocktail for your next gathering with the MasterClass Annual Membership.