Brandy has a reputation problem. For too long, this warming, amber spirit has been filed away as a post-dinner drink for older men to sip quietly from wide-bowled glasses in dark rooms. If you’re nodding your head right now, prepare to adopt a new perspective.
In truth, brandy is one of the most versatile spirits behind any bar, rich with stone fruit, vanilla, and oak. Its complexity and smoothness play nicely in everything from a three-ingredient cocktail to a quick sauce that transforms a weeknight dinner.
Brandy styles, from light to deep
A high-level understanding of brandy’s range can help you choose the right bottle for each of the recipes below. Here’s an overview of your options from light and fruity to deep and rich.
Read next: What does Cognac taste like?
- Pisco from Peru or Chile has a light, floral, citrusy flavor with notes of fresh fruit.
- Grappa from Italy is herbal, earthy, and grape-forward. It can be fiery.
- American brandy is lightly oaked for a fruity, approachable flavor.
- Spanish brandy, known as Brandy de Jerez, is smooth and nutty, with notes of caramel and dried fruit.
- Armagnac from Gascony, France is rustic with hints of rich fruit, spice, and toasted oak.
- Cognac VS from Cognac, France is fruity with notes of vanilla and light oak.
- Cognac VSOP from Cognac, France has a richer oak flavor alongside hints of dried fruit and baking spices.
- Cognac XO from Cognac, France has a deep caramel color and tastes of fig, leather, spice, and oak.
Choose wisely. The bottle you select will affect the flavor of your dish or cocktail.
Pro-tip: Whether you shop for liquor in-store or online, look for a well-organized selection of brandy grouped by style and origin. It will make your choice considerably easier.
Read next: Top Cognac substitutes
7 classic brandy recipes
I curated this selection of classic brandy recipes to be a tour of the spirit’s finest and simplest moments.
1. Sidecar
The Sidecar is brandy’s most iconic cocktail. It’s a sharp, citrus-forward drink that balances Cognac with orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. The drink’s origins trace back to post-WWI Paris and London, and the recipe has remained essentially unchanged since it first appeared in print in the early 1920s. In a full century, no one’s figured out how to improve it meaningfully. You can take that to mean this cocktail holds up extraordinarily well.
A good sidecar requires a medium- or full-bodied brandy. A Cognac VS or VSOP is a classic, refined choice.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ ounces brandy or Cognac
- ¾ ounce triple sec or Cointreau
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- Ice
- Sugar, for the rim (optional)
Instructions
Rub the rim of a chilled coupe with a lemon wedge and dip in sugar. Combine brandy, triple sec, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds and strain into the prepared glass. Serve immediately.
2. Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander is rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying. It’s one of those cocktails that feels like a dessert. Wow your dinner party guests by serving it as dessert or an after-dinner drink.
A smooth VS Cognac is a traditional choice for Brandy Alexander, but a quality American brandy also works nicely. The other ingredients contribute a lot of flavor, so you don’t need to overspend on a highly refined, nuanced liquor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces brandy
- 1 ounce dark crème de cacao
- 1 ounce heavy cream
- Ice
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions
Combine brandy, crème de cacao, and cream in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a coupe or martini glass. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and serve.
3. Brandy Old Fashioned
The Brandy Old Fashioned is the signature cocktail of the state of Wisconsin. Swapping in brandy for bourbon and adding fruit and soda makes the drink sweeter and fruitier than the original.
Read next: Old Fashioned recipe
A quality American brandy, such as Korbel California Brandy, is the right choice here.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces brandy
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon simple syrup
- Splash of soda water or lemon-lime soda if you like things sweet
- Orange slice and maraschino cherry, to garnish
Instructions
Muddle the sugar cube with bitters in a rocks glass. Add ice, pour in the brandy, and finish with a splash of soda. Stir gently and garnish with orange and cherry.
Read next: What does an old-fashioned taste like?
4. Brandy pan sauce for steaks and roasts
Brandy-based pan sauces have a rich, cozy flavor profile that’s hard to replicate with wine. Once you learn this recipe, you might not want to eat red meat without it.
A medium-bodied American brandy or Brandy de Jerez works beautifully in a pan sauce. You’re aiming for nice flavor that doesn’t overwhelm the dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 ounces brandy
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Finish your steak in a saucepan, then remove it from the heat to rest. Using the same pan, with the heat on medium-low, gently cook the diced shallot in butter until tender. Add the brandy and let it reduce in half, while scraping up the browned bits on the pan. Add the stock, stir in the mustard, and cook the sauce until it thickens enough to stick to the back of the spoon. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the rested meat.
Read next: How to reverse sear a steak
5. Brandy Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster is a dessert made by caramelizing bananas with butter and brown sugar, flambéing the mixture with liquor, and serving it over vanilla ice cream. The traditional version is made with rum, but brandy is an elegant substitution. This dish comes together in about 10 minutes.
A VS Cognac will be a hit here, because it adds notes of vanilla, caramel, and dried fruit. Brandy de Jerez is a nice alternative because its nutty sweetness pairs nicely with the bananas and ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ounces brandy
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Instructions
Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the bananas, cut sides down, and cook for 2 minutes. Warm the brandy separately, then pour it into the pan and light it carefully with a long match. Allow the flames to go out and then quickly spoon over scoops of ice cream.
6. Brandy Hot Toddy
The Hot Toddy is a classic cold-weather comfort drink served in a mug. Whiskey is the traditional choice, but brandy’s warmth and fruitiness make it a lovely substitute.
A smooth, approachable American brandy is your best option for a hot toddy. Its mild fruit flavor blends easily with honey and lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ ounces brandy
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 cup hot water that’s not boiling
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
Instructions
Add 2/3 cup water to a mug and microwave it for 1 minute. Add the honey and lemon juice, mixing well to dissolve the honey. Pour brandy into the mug and add a cinnamon stick and cloves. Allow it to stand for a couple of minutes before drinking.
7. Brandy Snap Biscuits
Brandy snaps, a British staple, are thin, lacy caramel biscuits with a brandy and ginger flavor. They’re commonly rolled up into cylinders and stuffed with whipped cream. Brandy snaps are not hard to make, and they make a big impression at dinner parties.
You can use any affordable, quality brandy for this recipe, except for fruit and flavored varieties.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons Lyle’s Golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon brandy
- Whipped cream, to fill
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add butter, sugar, and syrup into a pan and melt them over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves.
Remove the pan from the heat and add flour, ginger, and brandy one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Drop by spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space around each biscuit.
Bake your snaps for 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden and lacy. While they are still warm, wrap up each biscuit on the handle of a wooden spoon. Place on rack to cool completely. Add whipped cream and serve.
11 tips for recipe success with brandy
- Use a brandy you’d enjoy drinking, especially for cocktails. It doesn’t need to be premium, but it should not be cheap. Low-quality bottles can add harsh flavors to your dish.
- Add brandy to pan sauces after cooking the meat. It helps deglaze the pan and picks up flavorful browned bits.
- Cook off the alcohol when desired. Simmering brandy for a few minutes mellows the sharp alcohol flavor while retaining the fruity notes.
- Use brandy to enhance desserts. It pairs especially well with apples, pears, bananas, chocolate, dried fruit, and custards.
- Add brandy near the end of cooking for a stronger flavor. Earlier additions create a subtler effect.
- Measure carefully. A little brandy adds complexity but too much can overwhelm a dish.
- Choose the right style. American brandy works well for everyday cooking, while Cognac adds a richer, more refined flavor.
- Use caution when flambéing. Remove the pan from direct heat before adding brandy, then ignite carefully.
- Pair brandy with warm spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and vanilla all complement brandy’s flavor.
- Try brandy in cream sauces. Brandy works particularly well in mushroom sauces, peppercorn sauces, and other rich pan sauces.
- Store brandy tightly sealed. Brandy has a long shelf life, but minimizing air exposure preserves its flavor.
One spirit, many possibilities
Whether you’re shaking up a classic Sidecar, warming up with a Hot Toddy, or adding depth to a pan sauce, this versatile spirit brings rich fruit flavor and complexity to sweet and savory recipes. Start with one of these classics, experiment with different styles, and you may discover that brandy is one of the hardest-working ingredients in your kitchen and home bar.
