Good brandy is appreciated in any society. It has a unique taste and pleasant aroma. The drink does not endure haste and haste. It takes time to try it out. None of the alcoholic drinks evokes as much admiration and respect as old well-aged cognac. What is this miracle made of and how? To answer questions, you need to plunge into the past.
A bit of history
Cognac appeared in France. Its history begins in the 1st century BC. e., when the Romans brought grapes into the country. The mild sunny climate contributed to rich harvests. Since the 12th century, the French began to actively produce wine, and by the 15th century an excess of the drink had formed. From long storage, he was exhausted, spoiled, and it was decided to distill the wine into alcohol.
There are several legends about how cognac appeared. According to one of them, the Chevalier de la Croix decided to distill the wine twice. This idea arose after a nightmare. He poured the resulting liquid into a barrel. After 15 years, Chevalier decided to try a drink. Opening the barrel, he was surprised that the contents became half as much, and the taste and aroma of the drink became more saturated and much more pleasant.
Another version says that in the 17th century, winemakers were unable to export barrels of grape vodka in time. The reason was the English fleet, which did not allow French ships to go to sea. Contrary to the worst expectations of winemakers, vodka did not become worse, but, on the contrary, improved its taste. Since then, the French began to experiment with wood for barrels, its contents and aging.
How to make brandy at the factory
The technology for making the drink has been developed for many centuries. There are many subtleties in it that cannot be neglected, otherwise it will adversely affect the final result.
Much attention is paid to what grapes are made of cognac. Today, only a few varieties are allowed for production. Harvesting takes place in early October. Grapes are immediately sent under the press. Berries are not separated from the twigs. Press use horizontal or automatic. The main thing is that he does not crush the grape seeds. The resulting wort is left to ferment for 2 to 4 weeks. The interesting thing is that sugar is not involved in the process. The result is grape wine, which contains an average of 8% alcohol.
Then the drink is distilled. To get 1 liter of alcohol you need to process 9 liters of wine. After repeated distillation, a liquid with a strength of 69-70% is obtained. On April 1, it is bottled in oak barrels and aged for at least 3 years. Sometimes the term can be 50 or even 100 years. Barrels of alcohol are stored at a temperature of 15 ° C. After time, the strength of the drink decreases, and the liquid itself evaporates. Losses are up to 4%. The French joke that this part belongs to the angels.
What is cognac stored in
What storage tanks are made of is very important. The quality of the drink depends on this. According to research, the old packaging transfers about 2000 wood components to alcohol. For the manufacture of barrels, century-old oak wood is used. It must be strong and porous. Do not use nails to fasten barrels.
Trying to maintain capacity, the French resort to sophisticated methods. They even bred inside spiders, because believe that the web can extend the life of the tree. But mostly they use the old proven method - they remove the used layer of wood after several decades, and the barrel can serve further.
Often cognac aging is judged by its color. Old drinks are believed to have darker shades. This is not entirely true. Perhaps the cognac was stored in a barrel, which was subjected to weak firing. The liquid in such a container is almost light.
Brandy classification
The quality of this drink is high. Depending on the exposure and the raw materials used, cognacs are divided into three types:
- Ordinary. For their manufacture, cognac spirits are taken for a short exposure, 3-5 years. Depending on the age of the raw materials, the number of stars is put on the label. The strength of drinks is 40-42%. The older the cognac, the more pronounced the taste it has.
- Vintage. For these drinks you need raw materials of at least 6-7 years old. Among them distinguish aged, sustained superior quality, old cognacs. The fortress reaches 57%.
- Collectible. They differ from vintage cognacs in that their aging time is at least five years longer.
Brandy and Armagnac
Cognac is made in many countries. But according to the rules, so are called only those drinks that are produced in the town of Charente, one of the regions of France. If alcohol is produced using the same technology, but in a different locality, it will be called “brandy”. In quality and taste, it can be no worse than cognac. What the drink is made of, by what technology - the main parameters that affect the quality of products. Since brandy does not have high requirements, the process of its manufacture has become easier, and any variety of grapes is used as raw material.
Speaking of cognac, one cannot fail to mention such a drink as Armagnac. Few people know what it is. Meanwhile, Armagnac is the pride of France. This drink appeared much earlier than cognac; it has been known for over 300 years. Armagnac manufacturing technology is characterized in that the raw materials are distilled once. The drink is aged in oak barrels from 3 to 20 years. The requirements for it are as high as for cognac. Armagnac is allowed to be made only in three regions of France from ten specific grape varieties. The drink is not intended for import, therefore its production is limited and the price is high.
How to make cognac yourself
Real quality cognac is an expensive pleasure, and not everyone can afford it. Many people are surprised when they hear: "And we make cognac at home." Is it really possible? For lovers of cognac, there are many recipes that allow you to make this drink at home. Home production is very different from how brandy is made in a factory. The main principle is the insistence of strong alcohol on oak bark, herbs, berries, spices. Of course, the result will be far from the original. It is more correct to call cognac tincture. The advantage of home production is that there is no doubt in the quality of the resulting product. In addition, collecting the necessary ingredients is not difficult.
Homemade moonshine cognac
To make a drink, you need to take an alcohol base with a high alcohol content. But before making cognac from moonshine, the liquid needs to be cleaned. There are 3 ways to do this:
- In moonshine put tablets of activated carbon, about 4 plates. Insist 7-10 days. Then filter through cotton wool wrapped in gauze.
- In a container with moonshine, throw a few potassium permanganate crystals and leave to insist. After precipitation, strain the liquid through cotton wool.
- Pour milk at the rate of 2: 1 into moonshine. Shuffle. When the milk has curdled, filter the drink through cheesecloth.
After cleaning the liquid, you can begin the cooking process. There are many recipes that tell how to make cognac from moonshine. Oak branches will be needed to get the taste and aroma of cognac closer to the original. They need to be dried, chopped (make short chips), if desired, can be burned. Instead of branches, oak bark is often used. In a glass bottle you need to pour moonshine, add chips to it, and clog it. The drink is infused for at least a month in a dark place.
Homemade alcohol cognac
Instead of moonshine, you can use a different basis. In the original, cognac is made from wine alcohol. Since it is very difficult to get it, they often use a different ingredient. For example, many fans are interested in how to make cognac from alcohol? To begin, dilute alcohol with water to 40 0 . Pour 3 liters of diluted alcohol into a jar, add 2 tbsp to it. tablespoons of burnt sugar, ½ teaspoon chopped nutmeg, 5 tbsp. tablespoons of crushed oak bark, 3 cloves and a little vanilla. Mix the ingredients well and leave the container with the mixture to infuse in a cold place for about a month. When the drink is ready, it must be filtered and bottled. Instead of alcohol, you can take high-quality vodka. This will provide a softer cognac.
What else is the drink made of? In addition to spices, herbs are used, for example, St. John's wort, lemon balm, bay leaf, tarragon. Often vanilla is present in recipes. You can find zest, partitions from walnut shells, black tea, coffee. The composition depends solely on the taste preferences of the manufacturer.
How to choose
Today, shops offer a large selection of this drink. Since not everyone agrees to make homemade cognac, the question arises of how to choose it in the store? First you need to turn the bottle upside down. If one drop falls down, then this is a good aged drink. The liquid flowing along the walls means that the cognac is young. Transparency is one of the most important characteristics. If through the liquid you can see a fingerprint left on the opposite side of the glass, then the quality of the cognac is at a height.
Now you should pay attention to how fast the drink flows down the walls of the vessel. To do this, the glass must be slowly rotated around its axis. Cognac with a 20-year exposure traces, the so-called "legs", smooth, with droplets, stored 15 seconds. Drink aged 5-8 years flows 3 times faster.
The aroma of cognac deserves a separate discussion. It is revealed gradually. At a distance of 5 cm from the edge of the glass, light odors are caught, among which there is a note of vanilla. Near the edge, the aroma becomes floral-fruity. In the final, the smell becomes heavy. Now you can try the drink. Drink cognac slowly. Each small sip should bring pleasure to taste and aroma.
Good cognac delights tasters. However, a homemade drink also does not leave people indifferent. When guests try it at a family celebration, they admire the pleasant taste and aroma. A modest admission: “We make cognac at home” gives rise to surprise, growing into admiration. Of course, everyone will want to know the recipe for a wonderful drink. And to share or not - it's up to the owner of the secret of making homemade cognac.