Brandy is having a bit of a renaissance. If you’re not one of the cool kids who already has it in your liquor cabinet — don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. With a bottle of St-Rémy Signature and some newfound knowledge to boot, you’ll be serving up the hottest holiday cocktails in no time. What Is Brandy? St-Rémy’s Master Blender, Cécile Roudaut, often asks people this very question. One common response: ‘A kind of whiskey?’ Well, brandy isn’t whiskey. It’s actually made by distilling wine. You’ll find different varieties of brandy in all of the world’s greatest winemaking regions — they just go by different names. Cognac, Armagnac, Pisco and Grappa are all great examples. Anything that will ferment (like pears and apricots) can be distilled and turned into a brandy, but for Roudaut, starting from grapes is the only way. She uses eaux de vie made with wines from a wide range of French vineyards, which gives St-Rémy its signature complexity and richness. What Makes It Unique? Brandy isn’t what your grandfather sips alone at night in his study — at least, not anymore. Today, brandy is all over cocktail menus and becoming much more popular with a younger audience (you know, the cool kids). Surprisingly, brandy is versatile enough to be used in place of vodka, gin or whisky — which is why it’s the true dark horse of any well-stocked bar. “Any classic whisky-based cocktail can be adapted to work just as well with brandy,” said Roudaut. “Due to its incredible adaptability and blendability, it can be a wonderful ingredient to many cocktails.” How Is Brandy Made? Roudaut likens the blending process to making music. “It must be harmonious and not discordant or cacophonic,” she says. “Blending is an art.” St-Rémy Signature can trace its origins back to 1886 — more than 130 years ago — when the St-Rémy distillery began at the edge of the Loire Valley. The entire process of making brandy takes place in France, and only renowned French wines (that are bottled in France) are used. St-Rémy Signature is built on that storied heritage, but adds a bit of modern energy with a double maturation process that injects the mature spirit with youth and liveliness. “It’s a combination of both the grape varieties used and the distillation, which reveals the alchemy between the molecules of the eaux-de-vie and the wood,” Roudaut said. First, the brandy is distilled in copper column stills, then it matures in a new oak cask followed by a second maturation process in a traditional cask. This is her first original creation, and the only French brandy that features a double aging process. It’s well-positioned to revive the brandy category and wants to become your go-to cocktail ingredient. Your New Go-To Cocktail Roudaut loves using the St-Rémy Signature to make an Old Fashioned — the perfect drink for curling up next to the fire on a chilly winter day. Yup, there’s a (very good) brandy version of that drink, too. St-Rémy has you covered with dozens of brandy-infused takes on your favorite classics. The St-Rémy Signature Old Fashioned Ingredients: 2 oz St-Rémy Signature 0.5 oz Amaro Montenegro 0.25 oz 1:1 Simple Syrup 1 Dash Angostura Bitters 1 Dash Orange Bitters Garnish: Orange Peel Glass: Rocks Glass Method: Add all of the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.