Grappa Vs Brandy: Which Drink Has The Higher Alcohol Percentage?

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Spirits often garner certain reputations. We think of whiskey in rocks glasses, gin in martinis, tequila in margaritas, and rum in vibrant tropical cocktails. For brandy, we picture it in elegant snifters, sipped leisurely after a special meal, while grappa conjures up images of a small, stemmed glass with just a touch of liquor — still post-dinner, but perhaps not as leisurely. But brandy and grappa are two spirits many of us aren't as well-versed in as others. Are those perceptions correct? Is grappa really an especially strong drink, boozier than brandy?

Brandy and grappa actually have roughly the same alcohol content. Brandy's ABV tends to range from 40% to 50%; grappa's from 40% to 45%. The differences between glassware used for serving cocktails and spirits may contribute to the misconception that grappa is stronger. Grappa is served in cordial glasses, with a typical capacity of about four ounces, though only about an ounce is served at a time. Brandy's snifter glasses, meanwhile, have a capacity of eight to 12 ounces – which is obviously a bigger vessel, but one you'd still only serve about one or two ounces in at a time if you're drinking brandy like a true connoisseur. This follows general guidelines for spirits like tequila, vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey, all within a 35% to 55% ABV range: a one and a half ounce serving. So despite the difference in glassware sizes, brandy and grappa are served in about the same amount for about the same alcohol content.

It makes sense that brandy and grappa are so close in their ABV ranges when you consider how similar the two are. Brandy is a broader category. It's distilled from fermented fruit juice. There are different types of brandy depending on that base fruit, and these varieties can get very specific depending on where they're made. Calvados, for example, is made from apples in Normandy, France; Brandy de Jerez and pisco are both made from grapes grown in a certain region of Spain and from Peru, respectively; while other countries make brandies from any number of fruits. Brandy is often aged in wood barrels like whiskey, so it presents flavors of its base fruit with a warm, rounded finish. 

Meanwhile, grappa is an often misunderstood type of brandy. It must be made in Italy, and from the pomace of grapes — the skin and seeds left over from winemaking. In that way, it has an inherently sustainable aspect. The pomace defines grappa with more tartness that's still balanced with sweetness, though that acidity may be another characteristic that creates the perception of grappa as a harsher spirit than brandy. Once you learn about grappa and the best bottles, you know it's only lower-quality examples that are harsh. Grappa can technically range in ABV from 35% to 60%, but it's that 40% to 45% sweet spot where you'll commonly find it. That makes grappa and brandy equally boozy, equally delicious digestif choices.