The distillation season in Cognac runs from the November following the vintage to the end of March of the following year. Cognac is a double distilled spirit, and the only still used is the copper charentais pot still.

The still has a capacity of 30 hl, but is only filled to 25 hl to allow for expansion when boiling. The wine is heated to 80°C by direct heat. The vapours collect in the top of the still (the chapeau) and then pass trough the Swan's Neck (Col de Cygne), by pipe trough a vessel where it part warms the next batch of wine due for distillation (the chauffe-vin) into the condenser. The result of this first distillation, the brouillis, has a strength of between 26 and 30 % vol. and will be about a third the volume of the original wine. For the second distillation, the brouillis from three first distillations are put together and redistilled to produce a spirit up to 72% vol.. On this occasion, the first vapours to come off, the heads, and the last, the tails, are removed.

The heart of the spirit is then aged for a minimum of two years, usually much longer, in cask made from Limousin oak.

During the ageing period the strength of the spirit will reduce naturally. It will also mellow and soften, and take on colour and flavour from the wood. What evaporate is know as la part des anges (the angel's share) and leads to a black fungus growth on the buildings which gives them a smoked looks.

Finally, after a careful selection of the cellarmaster, differents spirits will be blend together and and will be broken down to 40%vol. with distilled water, to become the Cognac.