Revel Spirits Class: Battle of the Brandies 10/6

Battle of the Brandies

In 1976 Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher organized a blind tasting by some of the preeminent names in French wine to pit Napa Valley against the world-renowned French winemakers in an event that would come to be called the “Judgement of Paris”. In every category, Napa came out ahead. Join us now as we revisit this event with a favorite spirits category of our own here in the Revel Spirits Classroom: Brandy. For centuries the French have been known for their dominance in the world of Brandy: Cognac, Calvados, and Armagnac claim top prices wherever they are found. However, for the past decade Virginia has had a growing culture of distillers taking advantage of the abundance of wine and cider makers here to partner and make this genre in a whole new style right in our backyard.

The format will be a little different from our usual. We will open and close with the exact same cocktail: a Sidecar. One will be made with all French spirits, the other Virginian. In between we will showcase three brandy styles side by side in pairs, one from France and one from Virginia. The only thing we will reveal is the base fruit for each pair. At the end, we will poll the audience, and reveal the winners and who made them! Join us as we explore the history of this highly underappreciated spirits category, and how it is being transformed today and coming back stronger than ever. Cheers!