The meaning of Brandy comes from the Dutch 'brandewijn' which translates to "Burnt Word." Brandy is spirit produced by distilling wine that contains on average 35%-60% ABV making it perfect as a post dinner drink. Some brandies are ages in wooden casks, while some are simply coloured with caramel colouring to imitate the the effect of ageing.
The history of Brandy is tied into the development of distillation in Greece and Rome. Initially distillation was a preservation method so merchants could carry their wine to new markets but soon it was discovered that having been aged in wooden casks the wine took on new flavours and many cases tasted a considerably better.