cognac

IPA/ˈkɒnjæk/
KK[kˈonjˌæk]IPA/ˈkəʊnjæk/

cognac — noun

  • cognacsingular
  • cognacsplural

1. a strong, golden-coloured alcoholic drink made by distilling white wine in the C

1.nounC1
Definition

a strong, golden-coloured alcoholic drink made by distilling white wine in the Cognac area of western France; also used to mean one glass of this drink.

Example

Ziad poured two small glasses of cognac after the long dinner.

countable use: a glass of cognac

Gabriela keeps a bottle of fine cognac on the top shelf for special guests.

collocation: a bottle of (fine) cognac

Common collocations
  • a glass of cognac
  • a bottle of cognac
  • a splash of cognac
  • sip cognac
  • vintage cognac
Synonyms
  • brandy

    wider term: any spirit distilled from wine or fruit; cognac is one specific kind of brandy.

  • armagnac

    another protected French brandy, from the Armagnac region; similar in style but slightly different process.

  • eau-de-vie

    general French term for a clear fruit spirit; usually colourless, unlike the amber colour of cognac.

Grammar Patterns

a glass of cognac

a bottle of cognac

Usage Note

Often uncountable when talking about the drink in general ('a splash of cognac', 'the taste of cognac'), but countable when ordering or pouring servings ('a cognac', 'two cognacs'). Strictly, only brandy from the Cognac region of France can be called cognac.

Common Mistakes

I had a cognac wine with dinner.
I had a cognac with dinner.
cognac is a type of brandy (a spirit), not a wine, so 'cognac wine' is wrong.
They make cognac in many countries.
They make brandy in many countries; cognac is only made in France.
the name 'cognac' is protected and refers only to brandy from one region of France.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name strong distilled drinks, but the scope is very different. 'Brandy' is the broad family term — any spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit counts, no matter where it is made. 'Cognac' is one specific protected kind of brandy: only spirit distilled from white wine in the Cognac region of western France may carry the name, and the production rules are tightly controlled. 'Armagnac' is its cousin from the Armagnac region a little to the south; it is also a protected French brandy, usually with a rougher, more rustic taste. 'Eau-de-vie' is a wider French term for a clear, usually colourless fruit spirit, such as one made from pears or cherries. 'Whisky' is unrelated in family — it is distilled from grain, not wine. In a wine bar you might ask for 'a brandy' and be offered a cognac; you would not call a Scottish whisky a brandy.

brandy ↗armagnaceau-de-viewhisky ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • glass of cognac
  • bottle of cognac
  • splash of cognac
  • cognac glass

Phrases

  • sip a cognac
  • pour a cognac
  • vintage cognac
  • fine cognac

Prepositions

  • of cognac

Etymology

French (place name)English

Named after the small town of Cognac in the Charente region of western France, where the brandy has been distilled and aged since at least the 16th century. Dutch traders, who shipped large amounts of local wine across the North Sea, started distilling it to make the cargo last and take up less space; the distilled spirit became prized in its own right and took on the town's name in English in the early 1700s.