Food and Brandy/Cognac

Theres a common misconception out there that brandy and cognac are purely dessert apertifs, I dont blame the misconstrued masses, fucking hell a great brandy neat and a cigar after an awesome meal is a feeling I could say is near orgasmic, but lets not get it twisted nothing beats the good ol roll in the hay. Now what if you dont enjoy wine or feel that beer maybe to casual( beer connoiseurs may beg to differ) what else is there to pair your food with? Why not try a brandy or a cognac? 15yr olds go great with beef or venison or game meats or try a ten year old or vsop with a block or two of ice with some chicken curry, superb!!!! The possibilities are endless. 

Theres one thing I'd like to hand to my boer boitjies and that was bringing brandy to the braai, tshisa nyama ipholile(braaing is a casual affair) you dont want to get to serious so a good 5yr old I'd recommend Viceroy 5yrs with some ginger ale or soda is a great staple around the fire and on the table while enjoying those succulent chops and boerie. When we get to dinner parties thats when you can go Balls to the wall(pull out all the stops) with your brandy collection, try a ten year old(i generally dont encourage mixing) with a champagne based cocktail, with seafood, oysters or a seafood soup or salad for starters. Bring out the 15yrold with a peppercrusted fillet you can choose your own sides as the most important thing here is the meat, 15yr olds tend to have spicy notes and flavours which compliment the meat superbly. For dessert how about an awesome 20yr old(van ryns is my suggestion) with a rich dark chocolate dessert send your taste buds on a journey like never before then end the night with with a cognac laced night cap, the cafe brulot(see cocktails) will be the greatest finish to your dinner. You now have the makings of brandy food pairing of epidermiese proporsies(oombas 7de laan). Don't be afraid to experiment no one ever said only wine can go with food, so go out there start your collection and go balls to the wall. Let the yack be with you!

Master Yack