1955 The U K B G Guide to Drinks (2nd edition revised)

BRANDY

The description of the word Brandy has been the subject, like many other things, of much controversy. However, the Brandy Shippers' Association have agreed upon the following description. "The only Spirit which is entitled to be imported,manufactured or sold in Great Britain under the unquahfied description. Brandy, is the distillate of the fermented juice of fresh grapes without the admixture of any other spirits". Brandy can be produced m almost any country in the world, but it must be preceded with the name of the country of origin, e.g., Portuguese Brandy,Spanish Brandy, Australian Brandy, etc., French Brandy, the home of Brandy, does not however follow this rule. The finest of Brandies is Cognac and the word brandy is seldom men tioned upon a Cognac Label as Cognac Brandy. The French term for what we understand as French Brandy is Eau deVie, but this can also be applied to distillations of Cider, Perry, cherries, plums, etc. There is also an Eau de Vie de Marc which is a distillation of the grape skins residue left after the grapes have been pressed. In France it is sometimes the custom to order a drink, "une fine"or"fine Champagne"orsimply"un Cognac". All meaning Brandy in one form or another. This is all very confusing, and to make it still more so, the Russians make a Sweet Grass Brandy, which is a spirit resembhng Brandy made from sweet grass known botanically as"spondilium foliole pinnatifide ",but locally as"slatkaia trava ", this is in the Eastern part of Russia called Kamtschatka. There are also other Brandies too numerous to mention. History of Cognac It is quite true that England has been connected with Cognac from about the year 1715, when Jean Martell, one of the founders of the present Company, settled in that area having come from the Channel Islands. Another name closely associated with the early history 229