Cognac

A brandy made under strict rules in the Cognac region of France — double-distilled in copper pot stills from white wine grapes, then aged in French oak. If it isn't from that region and made that way, it can't be called Cognac.

They grade age. VS ('Very Special') means the youngest brandy in the blend aged at least 2 years; VSOP ('Very Superior Old Pale') at least 4 years; XO ('Extra Old') at least 10 years since the 2018 rule change. They describe aging, not quality.

Cognac is brandy — a specific, tightly regulated one, like how Champagne is a specific sparkling wine. All Cognac is brandy; most brandy isn't Cognac.

Match the grade: a young VS is great over ice or mixed (with ginger ale or in a sidecar), a VSOP suits sipping neat or lightly chilled, and an XO deserves to be sipped neat and slowly.