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Brandy and Cognac Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to brandy products
Traditional brandy is produced by distilling wine and then aging it in wooden casks. Brandy falls into two overarching categories based on the type of fruit used in the vinification process of the original wine before distillation. Brandy contains between 35-60% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 70-120 proof. Brandy made from fruit wines like strawberry, blueberry, or any other fruit instead of grapes is categorized as fruit brandy.
About brandy
Brandy starts with a base wine, much different than table wines we usually drink. The base wine uses early grapes with a higher acid content and lower sugar levels. The distillation process of the base wine happens in two stages. The first stage removes a large portion of the water content and solids to arrive at the "low wine" used in the next step. The low wine contains 20-30% ABV.
The second stage enters the pot still as a low wine and exits in three phases: the heads, hearts, and tails. The heads have an alcohol concentration of 80% ABV or higher and an unpleasant aroma. The tails are the weakest portion at the end of the process. The heart contains the richest aromas and flavors and goes into oak barrels for maturation. Both the heads and tails are often combined and mixed in later batches of low wine.
Types of brandy
Brandy's popularity as an after-dinner digestif goes back over five centuries. The most famous brandy comes from the southwest of France in Cognac and Armagnac, but brandy production occurs in nearly every country. You can choose from several popular types of brandy:
- Cognac Brandy comes from twice-distilled fermented grapes from the Cognac region in France.
- Armagnac Brandy, from Armagnac in France, uses fermented grapes but only goes through a single distillation process.
- Calvados Brandy, made from distilled fermented apples, comes from the Normandy region of France.
- Pisco Brandy comes from South America and is made from fermented grape juice before distillation.
How to pick out a brandy
Brandy's popularity as an after-dinner digestif goes back over five centuries. The most well-known brandy comes from France's southwest, where its production dates back to the 15th century. The longer brandy ages, the more refined taste and aroma it will have, making older brandy best for sipping.
If you're planning a cocktail reception, younger brandy is better suited for mixology, where the flavor and potency blend with other liquors and mixers.
Fruit brandy is best suited for cooking, either for braising or flambe, where the brandy cooks off. Brandy is often found in recipes for dessert sauces, meat or chicken flambes and deglazing, and even used in mulled wine.
How to serve brandy
Brandy should be served at room temperature, neat (without ice) from either a snifter, wine glass, or tulip glass. The brandy glass should be cupped gently in one's palm to allow gentle heating, which will volatize the esters for a more pleasant aroma and taste. Some prefer the brandy to be heated by resting the glass of brandy atop a cup of hot water. Too much heat, however, can lead to very strong aromas that overpower the palate.
Many popular cocktails use brandy as a component. The Brandy Sour, Brandy Alexander, Sidecar, Brandy Old Fashioned, and Brandy Daisy are classic cocktails made with this liquor.
Instacart offers a variety of brandy to choose from for drinking, cooking, and cocktails. To save time, you can order a brandy from the Instacart app. An Instacart shopper will shop your brandy after you checkout, and in many cases, you'll be sipping your brandy the same day.
Brandy and Cognac Near Me
Buy your favorite Brandy and Cognac online with Instacart. Order Brandy and Cognac from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about brandy
The bottle should be stored upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Avoid exposing brandy to high-temperature fluctuations. Once you open the bottle, the contact with oxygen will slowly cause the alcohol to evaporate. Be sure to keep opened bottles in an airtight container. Brandy can turn like wine after the bottle has been opened, sometimes after only a few days if not stored properly.
The taste varies widely depending upon the fruit used to make it. In general, brandy is sweeter than whiskey or bourbon, with flavors of fresh or dried fruit, flowers, and citrus zest. The longer a brandy ages, the smoother it tastes on the palate and throat.
Yes, brandy can be chilled before drinking. When cooled, brandy becomes thicker and smoother and doesn't burn as much as warm or room temperature brandy. It's best to chill the bottle rather than pouring over ice if you prefer your brandy chilled. Shaking brandy in a shaker can bruise the brandy and affect its flavor and should always be stirred as part of a mixed drink.