Updated July 2026.
All Cognac is brandy. Most brandy is not Cognac. Brandy is distilled wine (or other fruit wine). Cognac is the French AOC: grapes from the Cognac region (mostly Ugni Blanc), double distilled in a Charentais pot still, aged in oak, and bottled under BNIC rules. A 1.5-ounce pour of 40% Cognac or brandy is one NIAAA standard drink — same ethanol, different law.
US “brandy” is a TTB class, not a French village. Paul Masson and E&J are American brandy. Rémy, Hennessy, Courvoisier, and Martell are Cognac. Age bands are not flavor scores. Related: brandy guide, Hennessy, Rémy Martin.
What the labels actually require
| Rule | Cognac (BNIC / AOC) | US brandy (TTB) |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Cognac delimited region, France | No French village required |
| Base | Specified grapes (Ugni Blanc dominates) | Distilled wine or fruit wine |
| Still | Charentais copper pot, twice | Not fixed |
| Age on the youngest eau-de-vie | V.S ≥2 y; V.S.O.P ≥4 y; X.O ≥10 y (since 2018) | US “straight brandy” has its own TTB clock — read the class |
| Typical US bottle | 40% ABV | Often 40%; some 35–40% |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 standard drinks either way. Four 1.5-ounce pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Armagnac is a different French AOC (often column, different ages). Spanish brandy de Jerez is solera, not Cognac. Pour math: Hennessy drinks.
Sources
- BNIC / Cognac AOC age grades (X.O youngest 10 years from 2018).
- TTB 27 CFR 5.145 brandy; 5.145 vs Cognac as a type of brandy.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). No invented MSRP or tasting scores.
- (27 CFR 5.145)