Cognac Christmas Tree
Brandy covers a wide spectrum of fruit spirits, from the awesome grape armagnacs, pisco, grappa and brandy jerez, to the apples and pears in Calvados, or cherries in kirsch.
Brandy is warma and fits well with all Christmas dishes and it is historically correct for who wants to be traditional.
During the 19th century, cognac, a specific type of brandy, had become the tipple for Europe, and despite relations with the French, the British championed the stuff. The Irish meanwhile kept their eyes smiling while opening their own houses – Richard Hennessy being the most renowned purveyor.
And as the American cocktail revolution took hold in the mid 19th century, it was cognac that was at the base of classics we still venerate today. Alas, the progress of the spirit was severely hindered in the 1870s when French vineyards were attacked by the devastating phyloxera pest, and as the grape growers stewed in their wrath, whisky nipped in to claim the discerning drinking crown.
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Source: Life Spectator
