Dutch name (also Brandvin, Brandywijn) for a spirit obtained by distilling wine. From the 16th century onwards, the Dutch (Hollanders) were big buyers of basic wines and spirits, especially from French regions such as Armagnac, Cognac and Muscadet, to supply their sailors. Later, this developed into the international term brandy or the German Branntwein. It is a ready-to-drink product, but it is also used as a base for making brandy. The difference is that the latter must additionally mature in wooden barrels.
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