# Cognac, etc

**URL:** https://spiritsandcocktails.community/t/cognac-etc/1351
**Category:** Spirits
**Created:** [October 7, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://spiritsandcocktails.community/t/cognac-etc/1351 "2026-10-07T16:42:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![EvanD](https://spiritsandcocktails.community/user_avatar/spiritsandcocktails.community/evand/32/818_2.png) [@EvanD](https://spiritsandcocktails.community/u/EvanD)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://spiritsandcocktails.community/t/cognac-etc/1351/1 "2026-10-07T16:42:49Z")

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I have taken to heart @Splificator ’s advice in Imbibe that pre-prohibition cocktails should be made with one of the few \>40% ABV VSOP cognacs such as Ferrand 1840 or Royer Force. But damned if there aren’t a ton of those brandy cocktails, and a ton of other cognacs out there.

1. Have any other cognacs turned up that are on the stronger side? Pretty depressing that the cognacs that dominate the US market are 40%, even the so-called premium expressions.
2. Are there higher-strength non-cognac brandies that can compete in quality? (I’m pretty pleased with [www.berensoldfashionedbrandy.com](http://www.berensoldfashionedbrandy.com) at 45%.)
3. When did ABV’s start to shrink, such that a “contemporary” bottling would be more “accurate” in a recipe? 1950’s? 30’s?
4. What else is there to know about cognac? Are there any sub groupings, or shared characteristics besides VS, VSOP, XO? Are the crus (grande champagne, petite champagne, borderies) indicative of meaningful things in the glass, or just a prestige markup?