National Cognac Day

June 4th marks National Cognac Day. Made from distilled white wine, cognac can have many different flavor profiles from sweet to dry and fruity to bitter. 

The name cognac is given only to brandy that meets several very specific requirements: the grapes must come from one of the 6 recognized growing regions in France known as the Cognac Region; the grapes can only be over certain varieties, the main one being the Ugni Blanc; the brandy needs to be twice distilled in copper stills called ‘alambic charentais’; and finally, it must be aged in French oak barrels for at least 30 months, though most distilleries will leave the aging process for much longer.  

Since the process is so specialized, there are only a finite number of producers, which means that over 90% of the cognac in the US comes from just 4 companies. 

The specialized spirit dates back to the 16th century when Dutch settlers tried to transport wine from the Cognac region back to the Netherlands. The wine needed to be properly preserved for the long journey and so it was distilled with eau-de-vie, a process that, it was discovered, made the wine taste much better. 

Celebrate the history and finery of this illustrious spirit on June 4th for National Cognac Day.

Contact us today to spice up your next product with that little extra kick of flavor!