Whether you are creating a flavorful sauce for your chicken, or just pouring a small drink after a long day, brandy fit the bill. When it comes to liquor, any healthy lifestyle will tell you to consume in moderation.  This is because alcohol has been linked to health risk factors like obesity and heart disease when consumed above the recommended amount. Outside of these guidelines, it is also necessary for those with food allergies and intolerances to be careful what they drink. For those on the low FODMAP regimen, carbonated drinks, drinks made with gluten, and cocktails made with high FODMAP fruits like cherries, mangoes, or apples will have to be consumed with caution. Let’s look at how brandy fits in this equation and if this liquor is considered low FODMAP.

What is brandy?

Although its alcohol percentage by volume is 40-percent, which puts it in the hard liquor category, brandy is a distilled wine. Brandy is made by distilling any fruit wine such as Calvados made from apple wine or Schnaps. Cognac and Armagnac are also types of brandy that are made from grapes.  When brandies age, they become more complex in flavor and develop a rich mouthfeel. Brandy is usually served in a brandy snifter or mixed in cocktail.

Although brandy can be enjoyed alone as a delicious spirit, it can also be used to enhance the flavor in various recipes such as sweet or savory sauces. The rich flavor of brandy works well to create sauces for protein dishes like chicken or steak. Also, brandy can be used to impart deep flavor into soups, mixed drinks, cider, as well as desserts like tiramisu or pudding.

Is brandy low FODMAP or not?

There is not a clear-cut answer to this question since brandy can be made with a variety of fruits. There are grape brandies that are made from the mash, juice, and wine from grapes. Since grapes are a low FODMAP food, then this type of brandy would be low FODMAP. However, there are some fruit brandies made from high FODMAP fruits like cherries, pears, apples, and plums that would not be low FODMAP friendly.

If a fruit brandy is made from raspberries, also known as Framboise, then it may be low FODMAP in small servings. This is because, according to Monash University, up to 30 raspberries is considered low FODMAP. It is recommended to take a small sip and see if this type of brandy is tolerated before larger portions are consumed.

Even if the type of brandy you choose is made with a low FODMAP fruit, it is still recommended to consume no more than one serving daily to stay low FODMAP safe. This is because since brandy is a type of wine, and wine is recommended to be limited to one standard serving a day, then hard liquors should follow suit. Therefore, since brandy is a hard liquor, you should consume no more than 1.5 ounces of brandy on any given day.

In fact, you should have no more than one standard serving of any alcohol daily to stay low FODMAP. A standard serving of alcohol could be either 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

Take home message

A low FODMAP eating plan can include some alcohol in moderation, including brandy. Just be sure to read the label like you would with any food to be sure no high FODMAP ingredients have been processed with your beverage choice. Visit the Casa de Sante site for more on the specifics of the low FODMAP regimen.

-written by Staci Gulbin, MS, MEd, RD from LighttrackNutrition.com