Ararat Brandy Factory

The one thing that Armenians know how to make well is Brandy.  Although  cognac was first created in France, the steps leading up to that process were first cultivated in Armenia. The Ararat Brandy Factory is one of the largest brandy producers in Armenia, with  their headquarters right in the city of Yerevan. Today, the factory is owned by the French Pernod Ricard group- bringing it up to international standards. 

It is a really interesting place to visit  because I learned lots of things I never knew before, both about brandy and about Armenia.

Lets start with the name: brandy vs. cognac. Just like champagne, you can only use  the word cognac to refer to brandy that comes from the Cognac region of France. However, the Ararat factory changes the name depending on where the brandy is being sent. In all of Russia and the CIS countries it is called Armenian cognac, whereas in Europe it is called Armenian brandy.  They say it is perfectly legal to do this, it's not just them trying to be clever. Who knows. Maybe it's  because they are owned by the French.

What makes Armenian brandy different from the French is the fact that Armenian brandy uses Armenian grapes and Armenian natural spring water- the brandy making process is the same, it is simply the ingredient variety that changes.

Another fun fact: As you may know, Winston Churchill was a big fan of Armenian Brandy. When  asked at age 91, what his secret to long life was, he replied: "Cuban cigars, Armenian brandy, and no sport!" My kind of guy.

Over 300 bottles of Armenian brandy were sent to him every year. It even helped save a life. One former brandy making expert was  exiled to Siberia. After this, Churchill noticed  a change in the taste and texture of the brandy. He called Lenin and ordered for the  brandy maker to be released from exile. He was released and  went on to receive the highest award in the Soviet union. See the magical things brandy can do.

Armenian brandy was introduced to the international market in a very clever way. The owner of the company hired  a bunch of volunteers, dressed them up in the finest clothes and sent them to the most elite, most expensive restaurants in Europe. They ordered  the most expensive foods and asked for Armenian brandy. When  the restaurants told them they had none, their response was pure disgust and outrage. It's safe to say that Armenian brandy made its way to Europe pretty quickly.

The storage room where the barrels are kept is an interesting place with its own walk of fame. Every time a foreign president visits the factory, he is asked to stand on a scale.  He can take back, for free, the same amount of brandy as his body weight. One very clever president had his bodyguard  discreetly place his foot on the scale behind him in order to increase the amount. The factory discovered  it a few days later when they replayed the footage. I really do wonder who that was. The President to take the most brandy home was Boris  Yeltsin. 

The factory even has a barrel dedicated to Karabakh. The barrel will only be opened when there is a final resolution to the conflict. It is the one barrel in the entire factory which they hope to open as soon as possible. It is the only place in Armenia where you can see the flag of Azerbaijan next to the flag of Karabakh.

Now for my favorite part, the tasting room. We got to sample three different kinds of brandy: Three star three years, Akhtamar 10 years, and Nairi 20 years.  As you can imagine it got progressively smoother (or we just got progressively drunker). In Armenia, brandy is usually accompanied by chocolate, in  Russia with lemon, in France with a cigar, and (according to our guide) in America with Coca Cola.  If you've ever wondered what the correct amount of brandy to pour in the snifer is, I can tell you. You have to be able to place the glass on the table horizontally without any of it spilling over.  How cool is that.

We left the factory very, very happy!

(Images from top:  the exterior of the factory, the inner courtyard, the waiting room, their collection of very old brandy- most of which is no longer produced,  yours truly in the owners chair, the storage room,  up close with the barrels,  Anita with the Karabakh barrel,  the tasting room,  Anita and her brandy,  yours truly very very happy, Anita adding some music to our tasting- she's a trained professional pianist, the snifer turned on its side with nothing spilling over- I thought that was the coolest thing ever)!