Cognac

Read the Age Designation

• VS (Very Special) — minimum 2 years aged. Use in cocktails (Sazerac, Sidecar, French Connection).
• VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) — minimum 4 years. Versatile; sip or mix.
• XO (Extra Old) — minimum 10 years (raised from 6 in 2018). Sip neat.
• XXO / Hors d'Âge — minimum 14 years. Special-occasion sipping.

Buffalo House Cognac Picks

• VS — under $50: Hennessy VS, Rémy Martin VS, Martell VS, Courvoisier VS.
• VSOP — $50–$120: Hennessy VSOP, Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, Martell VSOP, Pierre Ferrand 1840.
• XO — $200+: Hennessy XO, Rémy Martin XO, Martell XO, Camus XO, Hardy XO.
• Specialty: Hennessy Paradis, Rémy Martin Louis XIII (allocated, $5,000+), Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations.

How to Drink Cognac

Skip the brandy snifter — too wide, dissipates the alcohol vapor. Use a small tulip glass at room temperature. Sip slowly; let the spirit warm in the glass. Pair with dark chocolate, hard aged cheese, walnuts, or a good cigar (XO and up).

Cognac Cocktails

Sazerac (Cognac + rye + absinthe + Peychaud's — the original recipe used Cognac before phylloxera wiped out French vineyards), Sidecar (Cognac + Cointreau + lemon), French Connection (Cognac + amaretto), Vieux Carré, Brandy Alexander.

Cognac vs Armagnac vs Brandy

Cognac and Armagnac are both French grape brandies from defined regions; Cognac is double-distilled in pot stills, Armagnac is single-distilled in column stills (richer, rustic). "Brandy" without geographic designation can come from anywhere — California, Spain (Brandy de Jerez), Mexico — and varies wildly in quality.

Buy Cognac in Buffalo, NY

Same-day delivery across Buffalo, Amherst, Williamsville, Kenmore, Tonawanda, Hamburg, Orchard Park, Niagara Falls & beyond — free over $49. (716) 770-1230