Besides knowing that it hails from France and features a smoother flavour profile than an oiled-up Tom Jones (don’t picture that), the occasional bargoer won’t know much about one of the 12 types of brandy people like to call Cognac.

So what makes a Cognac a Cognac? Well, there are actually legal production requirements that Cognac makers need to follow before they can call their brandy Cognac.

The Cognac Process

• It must be produced in the wine-growing regions of Cognac and in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime
• Brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills
• Aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais
• Most Cognacs spend considerably longer “on the wood” than the minimum legal requirement

Who Can Drink Cognac?

Today’s Cognac has well and truly grown beyond the tastes of ‘that dapper old guy in the corner with a cigar and pinstriped suit.

Cognac used to be a must-have in the back bars, nightclubs and collector cabinets, but these days patrons can use them to make all sorts of cocktails to suit any occasion whether it be a summer drink by the pool or a night out on the town. Most importantly, these drinks taste insanely good.