Starch is a polysaccharide composed of a series of glucose units. These are the sugars that react to produce alcohol.

Mix the crushed grains with water to transform starches into simple sugars and create a ‘mash’. Temperature-controlled mashing systems infuse the grains with hot water to separate proteins and make the malts easier to ferment.

The leap from raw alcohol to spirit takes place with distillation. Base liquor such as wine and beer contains other ingredients like grain particles and water. The process of distillation purifies alcohols from these congeners.

Distillation technology heats the liquid, but since ethanol has a lower boiling point, it vaporizes and escapes the mixture. The special liquor making machines capture these vapors and condense them into raw spirits.

Like whisky and rum, brandy is aged in charred oak casks. In Cognac, France, brandy maturation is regulated by state laws.

Very Special Cognac (VS) must age for two years, and Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) for at least four years. Producers must wait six years for their brandy to reach the Extra Old Cognac (XO) category. Of course, casks must be made from French oak.