
Calling all beady-eyed drinks swots: if you’ve read our round-up of the best brandy to buy, you’ll know that Cognac is a variety of the sweet spirit produced by distilling wine before ageing it in barrels.
The category includes Armagnac, made from grapes in its namesake region like Cognac; brandy de Jérez, sourced from Sherry in Spain; Calvados, an apple brandy distilled in Normandy; and light, unaged and fruity eaux-de-vie.