Is brandy flammable? On your refreshment journey, it is necessary to know if the brandy is flammable or not. It’s a good practice to begin and end your day with a cup of chilled brandy. In this article, you will learn what brandy entails, its flammability, nature, and other details.
Is Brandy Flammable?
Research shows that most 80 to 100-proof brandy is flammable. This means brandy will ignite readily, even at room temperature.
Brandy is a volatile liquor that arises from wine, mash, fruit (grapes), or pomace distillation. Typically, it contains about 35% to 60% alcohol by volume. Brandy is usually aged in wooden casks.
Brandy is said to be aged when it has been prepared for over two years. Any brandy less than two years old is not mature.
The delightful and fruity taste of brandy can leave you begging for more. Most especially when it is a mature brandy, you will surely feel reluctant to drop the bottle once you gulp.
Brandy is prepared by distilling wine in minimal heat to keep the flavor and concentrate the alcohol. Then, the distillation process is repeated and the product brandy is mixed with water.
Is All Brandy Flammable?
All brandy is not flammable, that’s a fact. The alcohol content of brandy refers to the intensity of flame brandy can produce. A brandy liquor with an alcohol proof of 40% or below will produce less flame.
However, if a brandy’s alcoholic level is 80% or higher, it will produce great fire. Any liquor that falls within this range is flammable.
Top 4 Types of Brandy.
Over the years, a lot of brandy liquor has been manufactured. Brandy usually has a fruity taste. And each type of brandy either contains a single fruit or multiple fruits.
Brandy varies in terms of distillation techniques, fermentation process, distillery location, and fruit composition.
Let’s look at some types of brandy we have:
Cognac Brandy.
Cognac brandy is prepared from the grapes found in the Cognac province of western France. Cognac is a French brandy.
One spectacular fact about French Brandy(s) is that they are graded on account of their age. The youngest brandy on the list (at least two years old) is graded as “very special brandy” (VS).
A 4 or 5-year-old French brandy is graded as “very superior old pale” (VSOP). When a French brandy is at least 6 years old, it is graded as “Napoléon” or “extra old” (XO).
Grappa.
Grappa brandy is manufactured in San Marino, Italy. This brandy is made from pomace seeds, skin, pulp, and leftover stems.
Note that pomace brandy can be manufactured all over the world. However, pomace brandy prepared strictly in Italy is known as “Grappa”.
Armagnac brandy
Armagnac is made from grapes found in Armagnac, France. The major difference between Armagnac and Cognac brandy is the distillation duration.
While Armagnac brandy is distilled once, Cognac is distilled twice.
Pisco.
Pisco brandy is manufactured in Peru and Chile. And just like other types of brandy, its major component is grapes.
Differences Between Brandy and Whiskey
Brandy and whiskey are two different liquors entirely. However, most liquor drinkers assume they are the same unless the bottle label clarifies the truth.
Well, brandy and whiskey indeed have a similar color. But there are still slight noteworthy differences between them.
Now, let’s figure out these differences. Shall we?
| Whiskey | Brandy |
| Whiskey is a distilled liquor prepared by fermenting grain mash. This spirit can be made from grains like malted barley, rye, wheat, corn, etc. You can call it a grain-rich liquor. | Brandy is a fruit-based spirit. They also call it “burnt wine”. Brandy is prepared by fermenting fruits such as grapes, cherries, raspberries, pears, apples, etc. |
How to Set Brandy On Fire
To burn brandy, get a ladle or spoon ready. Heat the spoon or ladle in a candle flame for a few minutes. Soon, a bluish blaze will surface.
Then, pour some brandy on the heated spoon and allow it to simmer for a while. Before you know it, conventional currents rise and spread from the hot brandy. The liquor would have turned golden.
Why Should You Burn Brandy?
Some foods (e.g., cake) are preserved with alcohol. Brandy is a pleasant idea to preserve your cake. Especially if you intend to light or ignite the cake.
You can ignite a cake for birthdays, you know. Flammable brandy can help with just that. You can also burn brandy to ensure you don’t soil your cake’s taste with the liquor for the sake of preserving it.
When you heat brandy at a high temperature, it develops more vapour pressure which makes it easier to ignite.
Aside from food preservation, you can burn brandy to improve its taste. Brandy tastes better and richer when set on fire.
Is Grand Marnier Brandy Flammable?
Grand Marnier brandy which you can also call “Marnier grand syrup,” is an orange-flavored brandy. This brandy has an alcoholic degree of 40%.
But even though Grand Marnier has a minimum alcohol content, it still gives a burnt taste. It is flammable to some extent. Moreso, it leaves your taste buds with a warm, delightful impression.
Final Recommendations.
Perhaps you are curious if brandy is flammable. In this post, we are sure you have successfully figured out all the ins and outs of brandy.
At least, now can you sip brandy in relief, *smiles*. And perhaps you still want to dive more into the brandy concept. We have some inspiration for you.
Below are some types of brandy that we haven’t mentioned before. Check them out.
- South African brandy
- Brandy De Jerez (a Spanish brandy)
- Applejack (American fruit brandy)
- Calvados brandy (French brandy)
- Obstler brandy
- Armenian brandy
- Kirschwasser
