The fact that he's more concerned about the brandy taste and not because the kids licking some of it
In many countries kids having alcohol is not a taboo thing, for example in denmark where i live there is no legal drinking age instead its simply illegal to sell to someone under 16 years old.
Also kids accidentally tasting some alcohol is mostly seen as a humorous accident. when i was about 5-6 years old i accidentally took a swig of my grandfather's beer during a Christmas party because i had mistaken it for a soft drink causing me to spit out whatever i hadnt already drunk all over the floor only for my grandpa to laugh and my grandmother to go get some tissues to clean up the mess.
Most people in my country is rather open to kids even trying alcohol if they ask, this however is not because they endorse under age drinking but rather because it is a good teaching tool since alcohol often tastes horrible to kids so it draws a connection in their minds that alcohol is not for them.