Ararat Yerevan Brandy Company

The Ararat Yerevan Brandy Company, at 2 Admiral Isakov Avenue in Yerevan, Armenia, is the country's best-known brandy producer and one of its oldest industrial heritage sites. The business traces its origin to 1887, when the merchant Nerses Tairyan founded a cognac distillery in Yerevan, and in 1899 it was bought by the Russian entrepreneur Nikolay Shustov, who modernised production and exported to the Russian Empire. The company's brandy gained fame after Winston Churchill reportedly praised an Armenian brandy at the Yalta Conference in 1945, a story often repeated by the producer, though the details vary by source. After the Soviet Union, the distillery was privatised and in 1998 acquired by the Pernod Ricard group, which still owns the Yerevan Brandy Company. The site is built of local stone and includes the old distillery halls, the cellars with oak barrels, and a barrel hall where brandies mature for years. A visit typically includes a guided tour of the production area and cellars, an explanation of distillation in copper stills and ageing in Armenian and French oak, and a tasting of several brandies. The brand's lines are aged for varying periods, with the older blends maturing for decades. A small museum shows historic equipment, bottles, awards and documents. The company is positioned on a hill above the Hrazdan gorge, and the surroundings include the Kond area. The tours are conducted in several languages, including English, and generally require booking in advance. The factory remains a working distillery, so access to some areas is limited. Prices vary with the number of brandies tasted and range from basic to premium tastings. A tour takes about an hour to 90 minutes.