🥃 Christian Brothers Brandy

Christian Brothers Brandy is an American brandy linked to the Catholic order of the Christian Brothers in California. The brand dates itself to 1882, the order introduced brandy in 1940, and since 1999 the brand has belonged to Heaven Hill Brands. The standard VS is 40 % ABV.

The sources tell the history differently. One writes that the order was founded in Martinez, California, in 1882; Heaven Hill ties 1882 to the brothers' first vineyards in the Napa Valley, where they made wine for liturgical needs. The order moved to the Napa Valley in the early 1930s (the sources give 1930 or 1932). In 1940 the winemaker Brother Timothy introduced brandy at the order's winery, and in the 1950s the brand was a major supplier of table wine in the United States.

The owners changed as well: in 1989 the order sold its wine and brandy business to Heublein, then the brand passed to International Distillers & Vintners, and in 1999 Heaven Hill Brands bought Christian Brothers Brandies. The price of the first sale is given in the source only as a rumour, so we do not state it.

Open sources say little about production. For the regular VS, neither distillation nor ageing is described. The 2016 Sacred Bond release, according to KY Bourbon, is distilled in small batches in copper pot stills, as in cognac production, and aged four years in white oak barrels that previously held Heaven Hill bourbon; the strength is 50 % ABV. This is a separate product, not the base VS.

Why this matters to you. This is an American brandy, not cognac: the name "cognac" is protected and belongs to a region of France. Strength varies across the range: VS is 40 % ABV and Sacred Bond is 50 %, so servings are not equal. Check the version and the percentage on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.