An introduction to brandy

A brandy is any spirit that has been distilled from fermented fruit and fruit derivatives. Where whisky must be made from grains, rum from sugar cane and tequila from the agave plant, brandy must come from fruit. As such, it’s one of the most widely produced spirits in the world, especially in grape-growing regions where winemaking results in a fair amount of leftover fruit material that can still be fermented and distilled. 

The world’s most famous brandy – cognac – is made from grapes in France and is matured in oak barrels like whisky. But this is just one variety of brandy, which does not have to be aged, or made in France, except for specific styles. Grappa from Italy is a kind of grape brandy, as is the pisco made in Peru and Chile.

Brandy can also be made from any other kind of fruit, such as French calvados made from apples, and certain kinds of schnapps in Germany made from a range of different fruits and berries. These fruit brandies should not be confused with fruit liqueurs, which have had fruit flavouring, juices, etc. added after distillation. Brandy is distilled entirely from fruit, rather than having it added afterwards. 

Here in Australia, we produce some incredible aged grape brandies in the French style, and have been doing so for a very long time. Companies like St. Agnes in South Australia have been at it for over a century, and their brandies are as good as anything from France. Tarac Distillery is one of Australia’s primary producers of neutral grape spirit used for fortifying wine and also increasingly as a base for gin. Australia also produces wonderful grappa in the Italian style and even some lesser-known European styles like Rakija and Slivovitz. 

Increasingly, Australia is also producing some outstanding fruit brandies, like apple brandy in Tasmania and fruit schnapps from Victoria’s excellent fruit-growing regions. As a country with plenty of fruit that often goes to waste, it’s a category we hope to see expand.

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Top image: Husk Distillery courtesy of Destination NSW