The Cognac You Should Order With Chocolate Desserts

When it comes to spirits, cognac is considered the water of life. It's made from French eau-de-vie brandy, which directly translates to "water of life." Cognac goes great in cocktails like a sidecar (with orange liqueur and lemon juice) or a French 75 (with Champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup), but it's also perfect as a dessert spirit — especially if you pair it with chocolate. However, if you've ever gone out to buy this sort of brandy before, you've likely seen a number of odd labels on the bottles: XO, VS, VSOP, etc. What does any of that mean, and which do you want as a chocolate pairing?

To answer that, we spoke with Natalie Migliarini, the author, social media maven, and founder of Beautiful Booze. According to Migliarini, you want something called XO cognac: "Cognac pairs wonderfully with a variety of foods, but one standout combination is XO cognac with chocolate. The rich, complex flavors of XO complement the deep notes of high-quality chocolate." XO is a cognac-specific term that has been used since 1870, which simply stands for "extra old." It means that the cognac has been aged for at least 10 years (and likely longer). 

It's easy to find XO cognac from most major brands who produce the brandy — every manufacturer from Rémy Martin to Hennessy to Costco's Kirkland Signature cognac sells XO styles. XO can get expensive, but it's worth the price. The brandy — which is aged for longer — takes on a deeper, oaky flavor from the barrel it's kept in, making it taste more refined and adding some bitter, dry flavors. Compare that with VS ("very special") cognac, which is aged for at least two years, or VSOP ("very superior old pale") cognac, which is aged for at least four years. Cognacs often include a blend of different eau-de-vie batches, and the age of the youngest eau-de-vie determines the XO, VS, or VSOP designation.

XO cognac works with chocolate precisely because of that dry, woody flavor. In particular, some good quality dark chocolate works great with fruity and woody flavors, and XO cognac — being a barrel-aged fruit wine — has plenty of both to spare. Still, there are a few other chocolate options to pair with XO cognac if you prefer.

The reason dark chocolate works so well with XO cognac is because it's got a much bolder, pleasantly bitter flavor profile due to its higher cacao content. Dark chocolate has over 50% cacao, while milk chocolate has less than 50%, with extra milk and sugar to make up for it. The best way to pair flavors is to use either similar flavors or opposite flavors, and the bitter intensity of XO cognac is similar enough to match dark chocolate, which has the "deep notes" that Natalie Migliarini says are valuable.

That said, milk chocolate is sweeter and smoother, and that sweetness is enough of a contrast that it still works as a pairing. If you're concerned about the heavy metals in dark chocolate, it's not a must-have addition to this dessert pairing. White chocolate is debatably chocolate because it only uses cocoa butter instead of cocoa liquor, but its buttery, creamy flavor might work better with softer cognacs, like a VSOP. It's up to you in the end. By dessert, most people wouldn't say no to a drink and some chocolate of any kind. A good pairing makes an impression, though.