Grape Brandy

Grape brandy is a distilled spirit made by distilling fermented grape juice, i.e., wine, into a stronger, more concentrated spirit. It is one of the most widely produced styles of brandy, with well-known regional versions including French Cognac and Spanish Brandy de Jerez.

In the kitchen, grape brandy is used to add rich, complex flavor to sauces, marinades, and desserts, and its high alcohol content makes it suitable for flambéing. It also flavors baked goods like cakes and pastries, and appears in classic cocktails such as the Sidecar and the Manhattan.

Flavor varies with the grape variety, distillation process, and length of aging in oak, which can range from a few years to decades; longer aging adds notes of vanilla, spice, and dried fruit on top of the base flavors of ripe fruit and caramel.