Dutch brandy ( nl, vieux, ) is a

distilled spirit Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or ha ...

made from either grain or molasses alcohol flavored with various essences and extracts produced in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It was formerly referred to as "Dutch cognac" until that name was legally restricted to grape brandy from the

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

region of France. Dutch names included "Koetsiertje" or "Koetsierscognac" (cognac drunk by carriage riders - Dutch "koetsiers") or "Hollandse Cognac" (Dutch Cognac). Its colour ranges from clear to dark brown, reflecting added caramel or artificial dye.

Production

Dutch brandy is based on either grain or molasses alcohol, with added essences and extracts to produce a particular taste. These may include

fusel oil Fusel alcohols or fuselol, also sometimes called fusel oils in Europe, are mixtures of several higher alcohols (those with more than two carbons, chiefly amyl alcohol) produced as a by-product of alcoholic fermentation. The word ''Fusel'' is Ge ...

amyl Amyl may refer to: * Amylum or starch, a carbohydrate ** Amylopectin, a polymer of glucose found in plants; one of two components of starch ** Amylose, a helical polymer made of α-D-glucose units; one of two components of starch * Pentyl, a five- ...

alcohols,

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

esters In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

curls,

prune A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica''). Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. A prune is the firm-fleshed fruit (plum) of '' Prunus domestica'' varieties that have a high so ...

extract and the concentrated liquids obtained from liquorice root (''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', Dutch "zoethoutwortel"). Any Dutch brandy is supposed to contain at least 35% of alcohol, and not more than 20 grammes of sugar per litre. Usually, a little real cognac,

eau-de-vie An ''eau de vie'' ( French for spirit, §16, §17 literally " water of life") is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light. In English-speakin ...

or other grape-based distilled product is added. The brown colour of vieux can be obtained using caramel or an artificial colouring.

History

Although the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

(1919) already forbade the name "Cognac" from being applied to products produced outside of the French

region, Dutch brandy continued to be sold using it until the 1960s. The packaging (often including stars) was clearly derived from cognac packaging. Pressure from the French government led to a specific Dutch law banning its use, ratified by the Dutch Supreme Court in a trade treaty with France on 1 June 1956. Dutch brandy producers decided upon the name "vieux", French for "old", which had already been used before and which did not provide any pronunciation difficulties. The term is and was often used to describe old Dutch brandy ("Cognac Vieux"). Although its manufacturers feared a decline in sales due to the name change, the opposite occurred. Older people prefer it in traditional ways, by itself or with coffee, younger mixed with

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imi ...

. Initially Dutch brandy had a cheap public image, in spite of attempting to borrow Cognac's prestige. Most manufacturers sought to distance themselves from even their own product.

Lucas Bols Lucas Bols N.V. is a Dutch public company in the business of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages. It claims to be the oldest distillery brand in the world. Its brand portfolio consists of Bols, Galliano, Vaccari ...

, for example, used the name "Parade Vieux" (with the Dutch advertisement slogan "Pa pakt Parade" – "Dad picks Parade"), and disclaimed production by crediting its production to "Distillery Westertoren" rather than the official name of their facility. After Dutch brandy's reputation improved the Parade name was changed to "Bols Vieux".

Statistics

In 2009 Dutch brandy was the fifth most popular distilled beverage in the Netherlands by consumption percentage (after Jonge Jenever,

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...

, liqueur and

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

). Its 5.9% market share was on a par with

Beerenburg Beerenburg ( West Frisian: ''Bearenburch'') is a Dutch drink, made by adding herbs to jenever, with about 30% alcohol. The original Beerenburg was made in the early 18th century by the Amsterdam spice merchant ''Hendrik Beerenburg'', to whom it ...

Companies and brands

Dutch brandy is made by a variety of distilleries, though several of them are owned (at least in name) by the Herman Jansen group (previously UTO). Vieux brands include Het Anker, Bestevaer, Bootz (made by Bols), Boots, Dujardin (made by Wenneker, who sell their regular 35% "Dujardin Blue label" as well as the more exclusive 38% "Vieux Superieur Gold Label"), Floryn, Henkes (made by Bols), Hooghoudt, Hoppe (made by Bols), Hulsink, Klasse A (house brand of Dutch liquor shop Mitra), De Kuyper, Legner Fine Vieille (not officially named "Vieux" as it only contains 30% of alcohol), Olifant and Plantiac (made by Boomsma).

References

''Juridische Aspecten van Geografische Aanduidingen'', Barbara M. Vroom-Cramer, Kluwer BV, 2002,

External links

{{Alcoholic beverages Dutch distilled drinks Brandies