Armagnac is the oldest known eau-de-vie in France. Its first historical traces date back to the 13th century and are found in Gascony, where the small county of Armagnac appeared in the 10th century. The first written records describing the production and consumption of this beverage date back to the 15th century. It was initially consumed for its therapeutic properties and was often considered an elixir of longevity.
Its commercialization developed in the 17th century, driven by the Dutch, who imported it into their country. From the second half of the 19th century onward, artisanal production methods were refined to improve its quality.
As for Cognac, its roots date back to the 3rd century, when the Roman Emperor Probus allowed Gallo-Roman winemakers to produce their own wine. He exempted the Saintonge vineyard from taxes and authorized the export of the first barrels of wine throughout the empire.
In the 15th century, the region's low-alcohol wine traveled poorly. It was distilled for transport along the Charente River. In the 17th century, the first stills installed in Charente by the Dutch were gradually modified. The French mastered and improved the technique with the process of double distillation.
