Flavored brandy is the bottle that works for people who say they don't like liquor. It's sweet, it's soft, and it's usually weaker than whisky, so it goes down without anybody pulling a face.
Why brandy carries a flavour better than vodka does
Brandy is distilled from wine, which means grapes. It already tastes of fruit before anything is added. So a peach brandy is fruit on top of fruit, rather than an artificial note sitting on neutral alcohol the way a flavoured vodka does.
Peach is the one that sells, and deservedly
Over ice and nothing else, or with lemon-lime soda, or with iced tea - which is the southern combination and works far better than it sounds. It also goes into sangria and into a peach cobbler.
Apple is better when it turns cold
With hot cider in December and a stick of cinnamon. With ginger ale if you want it cold. It's the flavour that goes best with pecan pie and anything with pastry.
Butter toffee and black are the Italians
Stella Rosa make theirs in Italy and they're a different animal. The butter toffee one tastes of caramel with nutmeg behind it. The Smooth Black is blackberry, blueberry and raspberry over Trebbiano grapes. Both are bottled at 35%, below normal brandy strength. Serve either very cold, or over vanilla ice cream.
How to serve them properly
Cold. Always cold. A sweet brandy at room temperature cloys; the same brandy over ice drinks itself. Small glass, one big cube, and a splash of soda if you want it.
Beverage World Package Store
6731 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Doraville, GA 30360. (770) 441-0001. Open 10am to 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday, and 11am to 9pm Sunday. Delivery from $4.99.
On our shelf right now
Prices and stock read from our own inventory when this page was built.