Cognac
What is cognac? It's not whisky or liqueur. It's wine that's distilled twice in a copper pot still and then aged for years in French oak. Learn how it works, what the letters on the label mean, and how to drink it.
The best-known cognac brands
All the major houses are in or near the town of Cognac. They buy eaux-de-vie from hundreds of winegrowers and make their own blends.
Hennessy
The world's largest cognac house. It was founded by an Irish officer in French service. Rounded and full-bodied, with plenty of vanilla and dried fruit, from VS to Paradis.
About Hennessy →Rémy Martin
The house with the centaur. Since 1724, they have blended only eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne. You can recognize it by its apricot, fig, and delicate notes of oak.
About Rémy Martin →
Grand Marnier
This isn't cognac. It's a liqueur made with cognac, with bitter orange added. It shows how well cognac and fruit go together.
About Grand Marnier →All the brands we cover, from cognac to whisky, are listed on our spirits page.
Every cognac, listed by brand
3 brands and 9 flavors, each with its own page about flavor, cocktails, and the right glass.
Wine distilled twice in a copper still
Cognac starts as wine. And it’s wine you’d rather not drink. The grape is almost always Ugni Blanc. It produces thin, acidic white wine with little alcohol, which is exactly what makes it good for distilling. The wine is distilled twice in a copper still, called an alambic charentais there. After the first distillation, you have a cloudy spirit. During the second, it is divided into the head, heart, and tail. Only the heart goes into the barrel.
Then aging begins, in French oak barrels from forests such as Limousin and Tronçais. The wood adds color, vanilla, cloves, and some tannin. Because the cellar walls are porous, a little of what is in each barrel evaporates every year. This is called the angels' share. Almost every cognac is a blend of dozens of eaux-de-vie of different ages. It must be bottled at at least 40 percent alcohol. The age on the label refers to the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend.
The region is divided into crus, which reflect the soil. Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne have the most limestone-rich soil. They produce fine, floral cognacs that age slowly and need years to mature. Borderies is the smallest cru. It produces a rounded style, somewhat nutty with a hint of violets, and is ready earlier. Fins Bois is by far the largest. Its smooth, fruity eaux-de-vie form the base of many blends. If the bottle says Fine Champagne, everything comes from the first two crus, and at least half is from Grande Champagne.
In brief
The letters on the label refer to age
VS, VSOP, and XO tell you nothing about taste or quality. They only indicate how long the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has been aged, at minimum.
VS
The entry-level expression, often also called Trois Étoiles. Lively and a little spicy, with vanilla and toasted wood. Bold enough for a cocktail.
VSOP
This one can do it all. Rounder and sweeter than a VS, with ripe fruit, cinnamon, and pronounced oak. Delicious neat, and just as easy to mix.
XO
Since 2018, the minimum age is ten years. In practice, they’re often much older. Deep and rich, with cocoa, candied fruit, and spices. This one is best served neat.
Hors d'âge
It means “beyond age”. It refers to blends of very old eaux-de-vie, older than the highest official category. Silky smooth and floral, with a finish that lasts for minutes.
Napoléon means at least six years. Fine Champagne means the blend comes only from Grande and Petite Champagne.
What does cognac taste like?
Grapes & dried fruit
Ripe grapes, apricot, and raisins, with vanilla and a little cinnamon from the cask. If the blend is older, you’ll also smell cocoa, cigar box, and candied orange.
Round and smooth
Full-bodied and a little oily. It tastes sweet, but that comes from the wood and the grapes, not sugar. A VS is still a little sharp here. An XO feels like velvet.
Long and warm
Warm, with wood, spices, and dried fruit that slowly fade away. Older cognacs leave a floral note. That comes from the chalky soil in the Champagne crus.
This is the flavor profile of a VSOP. A VS is sharper and scores higher in strength. An XO scores 4 for sweetness and 3 for spiciness, because the wood has had years longer to work on it.
Three ways to drink cognac
Cognac can be simple. Drink an XO neat. A VS works well over ice, with tonic, or in a cocktail.
Neat in a tulip glass
Pour 3 to 4 cl into a tulip-shaped glass and drink it at room temperature. Don’t hold it over a flame. Then all you’ll smell is alcohol. The warmth of your hand around the bowl of the glass is enough.
Browse cognac glasses →On the rocks or with tonic
Pour 4 cl VS or VSOP over a large ice cube in a tumbler. Or top up with 12 cl ice-cold tonic and a slice of orange. The ice releases the aromas, and a robust cognac makes a refreshing long drink.
Browse tumblers →In a Sidecar
Shake 5 cl cognac, 2 cl triple sec, and 2 cl fresh lemon juice vigorously with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. A sugar rim on half the glass is optional. It takes the edge off the tartness.
Sidecar recipe →The best-known cognac cocktails
In the nineteenth century, there was cognac behind almost every bar. So many classics got their start with it.
Sidecar
Cognac, triple sec, and lemon. Sour, sweet, and warm in one sip.
Brandy Alexander
Cognac, crème de cacao, and cream, with nutmeg. Dessert in a glass.
Sazerac
In the original version, made with cognac instead of rye whiskey.
French 75
Originally made with cognac, but nowadays usually with gin. Try both.The right glass for cognac
If you're drinking it neat, choose a glass that narrows toward the top. This keeps the aromas together. With ice or in a cocktail, choose a different glass.
Everything you still wanted to know about cognac
Can't find your question here? Browse our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What do VS, VSOP, and XO mean?
What's the difference between cognac and brandy?
What percentage of alcohol is in cognac?
What are the crus of the Cognac region?
Should you warm cognac?
Can you use cognac in cocktails?
Buy cognac
Want the bottle at home right away? Order cognac online at Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 69, 8 of which are on sale.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
