A bottle of cognac.
Cognac is a type of liqueur made from fermented grapes grown in France. It is usually packaged in a glass bottle, although there are many different shapes and sizes. There are also liqueur decanters that are often used to store cognac for a short period of time. Cognac is usually bottled in clear, amber, or green glass, but some of the earliest bottles were ceramic.
Cognac owes its name to the city of Cognac in western France.
Ceramic bottles are a type of ceramic. Opaque and often enameled for color, these jars have a more rustic appearance than glass jars. Labels were often embossed or molded into the bottle itself. There was no standard format for ceramic bottles as many were handmade and quite rare. It is much more common to find glass cognac bottles.
Over time, some standard formats for cognac bottles were developed. A traditional cognac bottle is often compared to the “Burgundy” style of wine bottle. The difference is subtle, but cognac bottles often have a shorter neck. Cognac is also packaged in variations of this style of bottle, some with a very short body and long neck.
Another common shape for cognac bottles is the flat, rounded glass bottle, often referred to as a hip flask. This shape is not as elegant as the long neck bottle, but even new bottles made in this style have a certain vintage quality. The type of bottle or jar used is based on the preference of the brandy maker and not on any intrinsic quality of the spirit itself.
Most cognac bottles are made of amber, green, or clear glass. This is also a matter of breeder preference. No specific color is needed or required to store cognac. In some cases, the manufacturer chooses a darker glass to hide the cloudy appearance of the cognac, which is usually caused by excessive sedimentation in the liquor.
Some spirits companies commissioned ornate, gilt cognac bottles to attract collectors. Typically containing decades-old cognac, these bottles are gold-plated with diamond accents. These specially designed bottles are often designed by a jeweler and are made in limited numbers, costing anywhere from several thousand dollars to millions of dollars. Vintage and antique cognac bottles, as well as many other types of liquor bottles, are also collector’s items. Some very old or rare bottles can also be very expensive.
Liquor decanters, which can be used to store cognac, are usually made of crystal or glass specially made to store cognac and other cognacs for short periods of time. They are usually part of a matching set that includes several glasses. Most used for their aesthetic appeal, liquor decanters are usually square or rectangular in shape.