On the one hand, 2023 was a great year to be a brandy. While many other categories saw slides for their one-million-case sellers, brandy producers went in the opposite direction with positive growth across the board. According to Euromonitor International data, the total volume of brandy grew from 163.4 million nine-litre cases in 2022 to 169m in 2023. It’s a sign that perceptions of the category are changing for the better, with brandy now featuring more prominently on cocktail menus and producers being more progressive with innovations. On the other hand, two of Cognac’s biggest producers, Hennessy and Martell, had...