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BRANDY
The description of the word Brandy has been the subject,
like many other things, of much controversy. However
the Brandy Shippers' Association have agreed upon the
following description. "The only Spirit which is entitled
to be imported,manufactured or sold in Great Britain under
the unqualified description. Brandy is the distillate of the
fermented juice of fresh grapes ivithout the admixture of
any other spirits ".
Brandy can be produced in almost any country in the
world, but it must be preceded with the name of the
country of origin, e.g., Portuguese Brandy,Spanish Brandy
Australian Brandy, etc., French Brandy, the home of
Brandy, does not however follow this rule. The finest of
Brandies is Cognac and the word brandy is seldom men
tioned upon a Cognac Label as Cognac Brandy. The French
term for what we understand as French Brandy is Eau
de Vie, but this can also be applied to distillations of Cider
Perry, cherries, plums, etc. There is also an Eau de Vie de
Marc which is a distillation of the grape skins residue left
after the grapes have been pressed.
In France it is sometimes the custom to order a drink
"une fine"or"fine Champagne"or simply"un Cognac
All rneaning Brandy in one form or another.
This is all very confusing, and to make it still more so
the Russians make a Sweet Grass Brandy, which is a spirit
resembling Brandy made from sweet grass known
botanically as"spondilium foliole pinnatifide ",but locally
as"slatkaia trava ", this is in the Eastern part of Russia
called Kamschatka. There are also other Brandies too
numerous to mention.
History of Cognac
It is quite true that England has been connected with
Cognac from about the year I7I5, when Jean Martell one
of the founders of the present Company, settled in'that
area having come from the Channel Islands.
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