Oli Dodd asks five bartenders to look outside the traditional brandy category and nominate their favourite alternatives.
If a bartender from the Golden Age were transported to a modern-day cocktail bar, they’d probably wonder where all the brandy was hiding. The early documented history of mixed drinks, books by Jerry Thomas, OH Byron, Harry Johnson et al, indicate that bars were awash with the stuff; today, the category barely gets a look in.
Generally, phylloxera, an insect pest that devastated the French wine industry in the 19th century, is pointed to as the meteorite that killed the brandy dinosaur and opened the saloon door to whiskies produced on either side of the Atlantic.
That may well be the case, although plenty argue that phylloxera’s impact on whisky becoming the more popular aged spirit is overstated, but it doesn’t quite satisfy what’s happened in the 130 years since.
Champagne regained its position in bars and cocktail recipes, Bordeaux and Burgundy took up their posts at the dear end
of wine lists, and Provence defined and later reignited the
rosé category.
The latest Class Report shows the extent of brandy’s decline. In a popularity ranking of the 10 spirits categories that we polled for, it came in dead last, behind four whisky sub-categories and two agave spirits. Just 10% of bars had it in their top five bestselling spirits categories. And within the category, seven of the top 10 bestselling brands were from Cognac. One of bartending’s foundational ingredients has been sidelined in its own story.
And brandy is more than cognac. Part of its appeal has always been its diversity – there are about 80 protected fruit brandy geographical designations within the EU and that doesn’t include pisco from South America, an array of apple and grape brandies from North America and an extensive industry in South Africa.
Not only does this wider category offer plenty of exploration into flavour, but it also has the added advantage of tending to be a fair bit cheaper than anything with a French AOC. So as it’s Christmas and we’re all feeling the pinch, we asked five bartenders for their favourite brandies from off the beaten track.
1 Buscadores
RRP: Circa £45
Chris Tanner, Dram, Câv, All My Gods, London
When the Spanish arrived in Paraguay, they grew loads of mango trees along the streets to provide shelter from the sun. Historically, there was wastage of thousands or even millions of tons of these mangoes. Buscadores is part of an initiative to collect and distil those mangoes and then age the liquid in French oak casks so, while it has an amazing fruitiness and a hint of mango, it drinks like an aged brandy.
Distributed by Republic Drink
2 Cardenal Mendoza Gran Reserva
RRP: £52
Gethin Jones, Exhibition, Manchester
I’ve always gone to Cardenal Mendoza Gran Reserva as a pourably priced, solid Spanish brandy. I like the big sherry influence on it, the Pedro Ximenez and oloroso casks used for the ageing giving it some plummy, nutty notes as opposed to a spicier, floral French brandy.
Distributed by Marussia
3 Longueville House Apple Brandy
RRP: Circa £39
Stefi Fletcher, 1661 Bar, Dublin
It’s a small batch apple brandy from the west of Ireland , comparable in quality and taste to a calvados. The distillery has been around since the ’80s and still powers its copper still with wood fire.
The flavour profile is rich apples with light caramel and vanilla from the oak ageing. There’s a lingering finish of spiced orchard fruit and a touch of apricot. I like to use it in classics like a Jack Rose or a twist on the French Connection, but it also works beautifully in a Sazerac.
Distributed by Celtic Whiskey Shop
4 Burnt Faith East London Apple Brandy
RRP: £45
Madison Moore, One Moore, Brighton
The Burnt Faith East London Apple brandy is great on its own but also to spice up a mulled cider serve. It has a lovely floral, elderflower honey finish. And the company donates the proceeds to The Orchard Project.
Distributed by Proof Drinks
5 Somerset Cider Brandy 5 Year Old
RRP: Circa £45
Will Meredith, Sprout, London
It’s like calvados petrol, a bit naughty and rough around the edges but just as tasty, made with cider apples and considerably less expensive. The five year old is like spiced apples or boozy cider, great for mixing and subbing out for cognac in cocktails. Makes a banging French 75 or Sazerac.
Distributed by The Whisky Exchange Trade