Its not uncommon for many people to mix up the brands/Category(s) of what they drink. Most people walk into bars, clubs or wine stores and just place an order for the most popular drink, not knowing what it is they are actually consuming, the health benefits and how their body system may react to each category of alcohol. Some even consider the popular Vodka as Whiskey and many people think the normal Gin is brandy.
So what is up with all these liquors and their names? And what is the difference between Scotch, Bourbon, Whiskey, Cognac, & Brandy? The first distinction is Scotch, Bourbon, & Whiskey are made from fermented grains, Cognac & Brandy are made from fermented grapes. Next we have a few statements that might help you keep things straight between the fermented grain liquors and the fermented grape liquors.
Whiskey
Whiskey is the main category into which bourbon and Scotch both fall. Whiskey is a distilled spirit that is made from grain. All other distilled liquors are made from other sources. For example, brandy comes from grapes.
Whiskey makers use malted barley or other grains to make the spirit. They soak the grains in hot water to release the sugars and then add yeast to ferment the sugar into alcohol. Finally, they distill the liquor and age it in barrels.
Scotch
Scotch is simply short for “Scotch Whisky” (with no ‘e’ in the spelling…they like it this way) and simply refers to whisky made exclusively in Scotland and by law has to be aged 3 or more years in wood casks before they can be called “Scotch.” E.G Red Label, Chivas Regal.
Brandy
Brandy is merely distilled wine. Specialty brandies such as Cognac and Armagnac are made in specific
geographic regions and of certain wines to be called such by French Law. Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. It generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink.
Cognac
Cognac is French brandy which is made from special grapes that are grown in the specified region of Cognac (from where it gets its name) in France. It is distilled in pot stills and must be at least 40% proof. It has to meet certain legal requirements in production methods known as Appellation d’origine contrôlée.(what is this anyway?)
One major difference between brandy and Cognac is that brandy is distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice while cognac is a French brandy which is made from special grapes grown in Cognac.
Cognacs( eg Hennessy, Remy Martin) are usually expensive as they are higher quality brandy distilled from special grapes while brandy are usually on the cheaper side. The price of brandy is in line with how long it has been aged for. Cognacs are expensive because of the distillation and aging process that follows its production. So next time you hit the club or bar, depending on your pocket size now you know which brand or drink category to settle for.
