The story of cognac began in the seventeenth century. French traders realized that the wine they exported to Norway, England and the Netherlands was a perishable commodity and that, because of its large barrel, it was impractical to transport. Someone came up with the idea of ​​distilling wine, and it soon became apparent that the new drink, which was stored in smaller barrels than oak, was even tastier if aged in them for some time. The Dutch called the new alcoholic star "brendwijn" or "smoked wine", which gave rise to the term brandy. Farmers in the French province of La Charente, with the center of Cognac, began to plant ever-increasing areas of vineyards, more precisely the sour variety ugni blanc, and new distilleries sprouted like mushrooms after the rain.

The brandy they produced was given the name cognac in 1850, when they started bottling it. Martell, Hennessy, Remy Martin and Courvoisier are the most famous brands of cognac. Their limited editions are only for those with the deepest pockets: Hennessy Beaute du Siecle Cognac, produced in a series of just a hundred bottles and packaged in a wonderfully beautiful silver box, the work of French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, costs a staggering $ 175,000!