Yerevan Brandy Company
Historic Ararat brandy cellars with tastings
- Area Yerevan
- Type City landmark
- Time needed 1h 15m
The Yerevan Brandy Company is the Ararat distillery on the Hrazdan gorge, where Armenian brandy has been made since the late nineteenth century. Tours take you through the cellars and end with a tasting of aged spirits.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About 2 km from Republic Square, two or three minutes by car across the Victory Bridge.
What you see
The route goes through the barrel halls, past the oak casks and the blending rooms, with the smell of evaporating spirit throughout. Guides cover the Armenian grape varieties, the local oak used for the barrels, and the company's Soviet-era history. The barrel sealed for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh and the casks dedicated to foreign heads of state are standard stops, and the tasting at the end usually includes two aged brandies.
What to pair it with
Fits with the Parajanov Museum nearby and with Republic Square and the museums on the way back.
When to go
Tours run to a fixed schedule and must normally be booked in advance, so plan it around a set start time. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
What is hard about it
You are visiting a working factory rather than a historic cellar, and the tour is firmly commercial, ending in the shop. Prices for the longer tastings climb quickly, and nothing here works for a driver or for anyone not drinking.
Common questions
Do I need to book?
Normally yes, tours run at set times and fill up. Book ahead through the company's official channels. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Is the tasting included?
Tours generally include a tasting, with longer or older flights costing more. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Is it suitable if I am driving?
Not really. If you are the driver, either skip the tasting or arrange a taxi.
Nearby
- Yerevan CascadeGiant limestone stairway with modern sculpture and city views
- MatenadaranRepository of ancient Armenian manuscripts
- Republic SquareYerevan's central square with musical fountains
- Erebuni FortressUrartian citadel from 782 BC, the birthplace of Yerevan
- Armenian Genocide MemorialHilltop memorial and museum to the victims of 1915
- History Museum of ArmeniaNational collection from prehistory to the modern era
More of the same kind
- Vernissage MarketOpen-air weekend market of crafts, carpets and art
- Northern AvenuePedestrian boulevard through the heart of the city
- Yerevan Opera TheatreTamanian's 1933 opera house set in Freedom Square
- GorisStone town ringed by cave-riddled hoodoos