Most people have probably heard of cognac—a type of distilled brandy that’s often featured in movies and television shows to show that a particular character is refined or sophisticated. What many might not realize is that this distilled spirit is also celebrated by a holiday aptly named National Cognac Day. This day falls on the 4th of June every year and encourages everyone of legal drinking age to enjoy cognac on this day—regardless of whether they drink it regularly throughout the year or have never tried it before.

The History Of Cognac

The origins of National Cognac Day continue to elude us, although we believe it was first created by Hennessy to bring attention to their fine spirits. That’s why we’ve decided to instead talk about the history of the beverage itself—a history that goes all the way back to the 17th century.

Cognac began in the Charente region of France and was named after the town of Cognac. The wineries in this region wanted to ship their wines to distant ports all over Europe but were afraid that they wouldn’t withstand the shipping process, so they began distilling the wine and in the process created cognac. It has been made ever since.

Facts About Cognac

During the process of researching this holiday, we found some interesting facts about cognac and we were anxious to share these facts with our readers, so we’ve listed them here.

• There are strict laws that regulate how cognac should be produced, including the types of grapes, how long it’s aged, and when the grapes should be harvested.
• Cognac can be made in one of six different French regions.
• Cognac does not improve with aging as Scotch does.
• As cognac ages, it gets darker.
• Cognac is a type of distilled wine or brandy.

Celebrating National Cognac Day

If you want to celebrate National Cognac Day, then you should do so by enjoying a fine cognac of your choice. This can be a V.S cognac that’s been aged for a minimum of two years and is often called a Very Special cognac, or you can choose an X.O cognac that’s been aged for six years—also known as Extra Old cognac. And while you’re celebrating this holiday, you can also invite some friends and family over and make the whole event a cognac party. While you’re socializing, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalCognacDay on your social media accounts to let everyone in on the fun. After all, whether or not you’re a cognac aficionado, National Cognac Day is a day that’s worth celebrating. All a person has to do is drop their preconceptions about this drink and enjoy it neat or over ice.