Updated March 2026.
Paul Masson Grande Amber VS and VSOP brandy are 40% ABV / 80 proof on current US listings (Virginia ABC VSOP 40.0% / 80.0; grocery tiles for VS match). A 1.5-ounce pour is one NIAAA standard drink. This is American grape brandy from Constellation, not Cognac. Cognac is a French AOCHennessy and Rémy Martin are that class.
VSOP on the Masson label is a house age story (Virginia ABC copy: aged four years in oak). It is not a BNIC Cognac designation on a California bottle. Flavored Masson (Red Berry and the rest) is a different class and often a different proof. We will not reprint a 2021 price list.
VS vs VSOP vs flavored
| SKU | Typical US ABV | 750 mL drinks | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grande Amber VS | 40% / 80 | ~17 | American brandy; 80-proof grocery listings |
| Grande Amber VSOP | 40% / 80 | ~17 | VA ABC 40%; brand copy “four years” |
| Flavored Masson | Read the neck | Do the math | Not the VS row |
| Wine / “Paul Masson” table wine | Wine ABV | 5 oz = one drink if ~12% | Different product, same name |
US brandy identity is a fruit distillate, generally ≥40% when sold as brandy (TTB class). A 1.75 L 40% handle is about 39.5 standard drinks. Four VS pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Unopened high-proof brandy does not spoil like beer; opened bottles oxidize — same shelf-life logic as does Hennessy go bad.
Sources
- Virginia ABC: Paul Masson Grande Amber VSOP 40.0% / 80.0 (2026 listing).
- US grocery/trade VS 80-proof tiles. Flavored ABVs not invented.
- TTB brandy class; BNIC age bands apply to Cognac, not California VSOP wording.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).