We've all heard of brandy.  It's featured in older cocktails such as the Ampersand, or newer ones such as my original 24601. But what is it?  And why do we call it brandy?

If my wife's Dutch decorative wood shoe fits, don't burn it.

Brandy is basically distilled wine that usually is aged in oak barrels. A lot of brandy is distilled from grapes, but other fruits such as apples can be the base. The aging process for brandy is similar to bourbon (click here for a synopsis of how to determine a French brandy's age).

In the 17th century the Dutch word for burning or distilling was "branden" and the word for wine was "wijn."  So what was the Dutch word for "burned wine?"  Brandewijn. And what's the English transliteration of that? Brandywine. 

You've heard of cognac.  Cognac is to brandy as Champagne is to sparking wine -- it denotes a specific geographic area (France in both cases).  Remember all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.  There are many other good brandies out there.  For example, pisco, the base of the eponymous sour, hails from Peru or Chile.  Regardless of its provenance, brandy can be the beginning of some great experiences.  So get some burned grapes and make wonderful memories.