8) Spanish Brandy from Jerez

Two countries make brandy – France and Spain. France makes the gross stuff, Spain makes it well (me, biased? Never!). It is made in the town of Jerez, which is also the home of sherry. In my experience, most people find sherry a bit on the sweet side; the brandy is much better. It is also extremely cheap and available nationwide. Expect to pay about 7-10€ for a litre. Other famous alcoholic beverages from Spain include the [i]vino dulce[/i] from Malaga, Rioja from, erm, Rioja, [i]cava[/i] (Spanish champagne) from Catalonia and the Asturian cider.