Ararat Nairi

Ararat Nairi is a brandy, and the product details here don't give an age statement, ABV, or region of origin. So this copy doesn't assign it a VS, VSOP, or XO grade. Check the label for the age designation before you decide how to use it. Brandy in this style is distilled from fermented fruit, usually grape, and matured in oak. Expect aromas of dried fruit, vanilla, toasted wood, and a little baking spice. Younger bottlings tend to be brighter and fruitier, and longer-aged ones are rounder, with more nut, leather, and caramel. For sipping, a tulip-shaped glass or a small snifter works well because the narrowed rim holds the aroma. Pour about an ounce and a half and serve it at cool room temperature, roughly 16 to 20°C. Colder serving mutes the aroma. Warming the glass in your palm is optional and should be gentle, because too much heat pushes the alcohol forward. If the first sip seems hot, a few drops of room-temperature water will open up the fruit and oak. Dried apricot, roasted almonds, dark chocolate, and aged hard cheeses suit it at the table. In cocktails, a brandy at this level of detail fits the classic recipes that call for a straightforward grape-based spirit. In a Sidecar, shake about two parts brandy with one part orange liqueur and three-quarters of a part fresh lemon juice. Strain it into a chilled coupe, with or without a sugar rim. A Brandy Alexander uses equal parts brandy, crème de cacao, and cream, shaken hard with ice and finished with grated nutmeg. The cream and cocoa soften a young, lively brandy well. For a Sazerac, stir brandy with a sugar cube, bitters, and ice in a glass rinsed with absinthe. Traditionally it is made with cognac or rye, and brandy works in the cognac role. Serve it with no ice and a lemon peel. Keep an opened bottle upright, away from heat and direct light, with the cap tightly closed.