26 drinksint.com January 2020 DRINKS INTERNATIONAL BrandyFOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR COGNAC GETS ITS OWN LIST, SO HERE THE CONCENTRATION IS ON THE REST OF THE WORLD’S BRANDIES ITH COGNAC champion. The Catalan graduating to brand is trying to change TORRES IS its own list, our the perception of its TRYING TO bestselling w brandy country’s brandy, linking brands CHANGE 1 category is the best of the up with leading specialists THE PERCEPTION TORRES rest. If that sounds like to educate around the OF ITS COUNTRY’S 2 faint praise, we’re talking subject. Spanish bartender BRANDY METAXA about every other brandy- Juan Valls recommends 3 producing region in the drawing out the aged in avour rather than CARDENAL MENDOZA 4 world. Where there is brandy’s tropical notes in category de nitions, so CARLOS I wine, there is brandy. tiki drinks – who knew? we’ve included it here in 5 So Torres, for the Torres is the top choice in the brandy list. The brand’s FUNDADOR rst time, is our brandy a third of our sample and annual cocktail comp in among the trio of most the Aegean has helped to used in more than half. garner a following, making It’s also the top trending Metaxa relevant rather top trending brandy. than gathering dust on the brands Greece’s back bar. Almost % of 1 Metaxa is respondents said Metaxa TORRES actually was their go-to brandy, 2 a blend of while more than a third METAXA 3 grape spirit said it was among its three CARDENAL MENDOZA and Muscat bestsellers. 4 – but The remaining members CARLOS I bartenders of the top ve take us to 5 deal Jerez, to more traditional, YSABEL REGINA oaky brandies. With a bigger, bolder taste pro le than cognac, these brandies have an immediate point of di erence – the challenge is to get their products into the hands of bartenders. Our respondents in Spain are well aware of its qualities – here Spanish brandy still outsells vodka. But in most other worldwide markets, there is still a job to do to get bartenders to try Spanish brandy in a Sidecar, Vieux Carré or Corpse Reviver No. 026 Brandy DI Brands 2020 SUBBED.indd 26 03/01/2020 08:51.