"He who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy."
~ Samuel Johnson


Drinks with names like Old Fashion, Brandy Alexander and Hot Toddy may conjure up thoughts of yesterday, but if you think that brandy is just for the very mature crowd, you should consider that two key ingredients of maturity are wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom is accumulated knowledge, and knowledge is developed over time. It's time to learn from those with both. Don't waste your busy years missing out on this amazing spirit.

 


 


History of Brandy

Dakota Spirits Distillery | BrandyBrandy may date back to ancient Babylon but became better known when the Moors brought their stills or alembics to Europe beginning in the 8th century.  Used as a preservation method and to ease the load when transporting wines (and maybe even to reduce the tax which was levied based upon volume), brandy or “burnt wine” was created though distillation techniques in simple copper pot stills. The distilled product was transported and stored in oak barrels, because that was the way wines were stored and transported.  However, the oak casks greatly improved the flavor and quality of the concentrated or burnt wine, and became a necessary step in the creation of brandy. 

In the 15th century when the Moors were removed from power, brandy became better known, and a better drink when the Spaniards began distilling their local wines into quality brandies in a similar manner as brandy is created today. Made from grapes, most American Brandy originates in California, but times are changing.  We have found that our grapes grown from a unique region in the North Central United States known as Coteau Des Prairies, distill amazingly well in our small batch copper still.  Each batch is slowly heated to allow the optimal collection of alcohol and aromatics that make up our unique brandies. 

As a result of the marrying of the oak, alcohol and the aromatics from our grapes, like whiskey and red wine, our brandy is best when served slightly chilled to maintain a smooth, mouth watering experience from every drop.  That is why we suggest you request our brandy “On the rock, please!”.