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Spirits

Brandy

  • Spirit
  • 40% ABV
  • 104 drinks

Is this for me?

Choose this if…

  • ✓You enjoy rich, grape-derived spirits with oak and dried fruit notes.
  • ✓There are 104 drinks on WhatDrink using this.

Skip if…

  • ✗You prefer lighter, cleaner spirits.

At a Glance

72 kcalCalories
40%ABV
0gSugar
0gCarbs
SpiritType
104Recipes

Ingredient nutrition is approximate and varies by brand, recipe and preparation.

What is Brandy?

Brandy is a fruit-based distilled spirit used in classic cocktails, punches, flips, sours and after-dinner drinks. It adds warmth, body and rounded fruit character, especially in recipes with citrus, vermouth, bitters, cream or spice.

What does Brandy taste like?

Warm, fruity and gently sweet, often with notes of grape, apple, oak, vanilla, dried fruit or baking spice. Brandy works well with lemon, orange, bitters, sweet vermouth, cream, egg, nutmeg and berry or stone-fruit flavours.

Brandy profile

Mixability: HighIntensity: BoldBalancedBeginner-friendly: High

Best used for: creamy cocktails, tropical drinks, sours, highballs

  • Appears in 104+ recipes
  • Has 4 common substitutes
  • High-strength spirit (40% ABV)

Ways to use brandy

Cocktails (97)Punches (4)Coffee cocktails (2)

Brandy is a fruit-based distilled spirit used in classic cocktails, punches, flips, sours and after-dinner drinks. It adds warmth, body and rounded fruit character, especially in recipes with citrus, vermouth, bitters, cream or spice.

Flavour profile

FruitOakVanillaWarm

Recipes using this

Observed quantities

Observed in single-serve recipes: middle half 29.57–59.15 ml; median 59.15 ml.

In the measured recipes in this dataset — from 91 observed uses.

Scoped nutrition

Calories (per 100 ml)
240
Sugar (per 100 ml)
0 g
Carbs (per 100 ml)
0 g

Ingredient nutrition is approximate and varies by brand, recipe and preparation.

Diet compatibility

  • Gluten-FreeCompatible
  • KetoCompatible
  • Low-CarbCompatible
  • Low-SugarCompatible
  • VeganCompatible
  • VegetarianCompatible

Based on the listed ingredient only — a public recipe facet, not medical, allergy or coeliac advice. Specific brands and preparation can change compatibility.

Commonly observed with

Lemon JuiceAnisetteTriple SecPowdered SugarWhole EggPortEgg YolkSweet Vermouth

Observed co-use in the reviewed recipe corpus — not a universal pairing recommendation.

Trust & methodology

Canonical ingredient/component authority assembled from reviewed identity, recipe, flavour, nutrition, diet and substitution evidence. Observed quantities and co-use patterns are descriptive, not prescriptions or universal recommendations.

Evidence last updated: 2026-07-16T03:30:39.066659+00:00

About this drink

Brandy is distilled from wine or fruit wine, which gives it a long link to European drinking traditions and after-dinner service. In cocktails it appears in sours, daisies, flips and rich dessert-style drinks where fruit spirit body matters.

Substitutes

How to swap Brandy

Swap Brandy only with a spirit that plays the same role in the drink. If the replacement is sweeter, smokier, higher proof or more neutral, rebalance the citrus, sweetener and bitters rather than treating it as a one-for-one change.

When to choose it

When to choose Brandy

Choose Brandy when you want the base of the drink to carry clear character and strength. It has 93 public drink matches, so compare the related recipes before substituting another spirit.

Skip if

Do not choose Brandy when...

Do not choose Brandy when you want the mixer, fruit or garnish to do all the work. A base spirit changes the structure and strength of the drink, so it should match the recipe rather than be swapped casually.

Drink counts and recipe data are based on published WhatDrink recipes. Figures may vary as new recipes are added.

Brandy — common questions

How many cocktails are made with Brandy?
There are 104 cocktail recipes featuring Brandy in the WhatDrink database.
What are the most popular cocktails made with Brandy?
Top-ranked cocktails made with Brandy include Brandy and Soda, Brandy Crusta Cocktail, Brandy Flip. Rankings are based on recipe quality and data completeness.
What is the ABV of Brandy?
Brandy has an ABV of approximately 40%. The exact strength varies by brand and expression.
What do the sensory profile dimensions mean?
Sensory profile dimensions describe key flavour characteristics: Intensity (light to bold), Sweetness (dry to sweet), Mixability (how versatile it is in cocktails) and Beginner-Friendly (acquired taste to easy intro). Each scale helps you compare Brandy with similar ingredients at a glance.
How do I use the Brandy sensory profile to find drinks I like?
If you enjoy the intensity and flavour profile of Brandy, look for other ingredients or cocktails with a similar profile. Compare Intensity, Sweetness and Mixability to find substitutes or discover new cocktails in the same flavour family.