Whiskey more popular than brandy in South Africa
Although South Africa is the world's fifth largest brandy producer and in contrast imports nearly all of its whiskey, brandy is easily outsold by the 300 brands of whiskey available in the country. For the battle between the two spirits, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on May 11, 2008 at 03:08 PM in Brandy, South Africa, Whiskey | Permalink
Wine and brandy trade between France and the Dutch (book)
Henriette de Bruyn Kops, A Spirited Exchange: The Wine and Brandy Trade Between France and the Dutch Republic in its Atlantic Framework, 1600-1650 (Brill, 2007).
Posted by David Fahey on April 26, 2008 at 03:57 PM in Brandy, France, Netherlands, Wine | Permalink
Very, very expensive brandy as a trophy for the super-rich
In a Washington Post, 11 October 2007, George F. Will archly describes the frustration of the super-rich when the merely well-off purchase goods and services that once were for the super-rich only. "Hennessy understands the logic of trophy assets: It is selling a limited batch of 100 bottles of cognac for $200,000 a bottle."
Posted by David Fahey on October 11, 2007 at 03:54 PM in Brandy | Permalink
'My First Taste of Alcohol at Age 7'
The BBC's archive of World War II memories, written by the public, includes a brief acount about a seven-year-old Londoner's first taste of alcohol - a teaspoon of brandy in milk - given to the child by her parents one night while seeking refuge from the bombings in a brick shelter at the bottom of the family garden.
Posted by Cynthia on September 27, 2007 at 07:47 AM in Alcohol (general), Brandy, Britain | Permalink
French cognac and wine found in Macedonian fields
French soldiers fighting in Macedonia in 1916 left behind large quantities of wine and cognac. Local farmers are still discovering bottles. Although the wine is past its prime, the cognac has improved with over 90 years of aging. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on July 22, 2007 at 10:19 PM in Brandy, France, Macedonia, Wine | Permalink
Rum as the new cognac
In the world of spirits, aged rum has become the fashionable after dinner drink, the new cognac. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on July 11, 2007 at 01:31 PM in Brandy, Rum | Permalink
Cognac in Hong Kong (article)
Josephine Smart, "Globalization and Modernity--A Case Study of Cognac Consumption in Hong Kong," Anthropologica 46 (2004): 219-229.
Posted by David Fahey on December 20, 2006 at 05:56 PM in Brandy, China | Permalink
High-end brandy popular in South Africa
For many years popular in South Africa, brandy sales have been growing rapidly since 2004 especially at the high-end. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on December 15, 2006 at 06:58 PM in Brandy, South Africa | Permalink
wine-distilling and spirits (book)
C. Anne Wilson, Water of life: a history of wine-distilling and spirits from 500 BC to AD 2000 (Totnes, Devon, UK: Prospect, 2006).
Posted by David Fahey on July 5, 2006 at 12:47 PM in Brandy, Wine | Permalink
history of Cognac (book)
Salvatore Calabrese, Cognac: a Liquid History (London: Cassell, 2006). Paperback reprint of book first published in 2001.
Posted by David Fahey on April 30, 2006 at 08:04 PM in Brandy | Permalink