Upgrade Fondue With A Splash Of Brandy To Temper The Richness

If you're hosting a party — or simply craving something cheesy – fondue is the way to go. Whether you swear by raclette or Swiss, you can incorporate your favorite forms of cheese, not to mention all kinds of ingredients for dipping. Bread, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables are some standard choices for what to dip in this common appetizer. However, if you're looking to up your fondue game, you may want to think outside the box — and within the bottle.

Adding brandy helps combat some of the richness of fondue, which can quickly become overpowering. After all, cheese fondue is, essentially, a form of melted cheese. And, after a few bites, especially if you add milk or another form of dairy, its bite can be quite intense. That said, alcohol, in the form of brandy, offsets some of this intensity and introduces complementary flavors. 

Brandy is easy to incorporate into your next batch of cheese fondue. In fact, you have a few options in choosing the nature of the alcohol — not to mention the exact amount.

Skip the cocktails in favor of the fondue — or, better yet, pair the brandy in your drink with the brandy in your cheese. The alcohol has multiple purposes, and, in cheese fondue, is a total game-changer. 

To make matters all the easier, you have quite a few options for how, exactly, to utilize brandy in your fondue recipes. The most traditional cheese fondues suggest Kirsch brandy, which derives from cherries. This brandy is clear and color and versatile in purpose. However, if you want something a little more refined, can alternatively use cognac, which is higher in quality. Cherry brandy likewise does the job for fondues; it adds some sweetness in addition to cutting through the richness. Just don't confuse cherry brandy with cherry liqueur, which comes far too sweet for most fondue preferences. 

In addition, many fondue recipes incorporate some white wine, which adds both a more complex flavor and enhances the fondue's texture. Wine, essentially, keeps your cheese together rather than forming disjointed clumps. So, for the best fondue, mix and match your brandy and your wine. From there, you'll just have to decide which drink will fill your glass as you dig and dip into your cheese fondue.