Greece is famous for its alcoholic national drinks. Of these, the most famous is Metaxa. What is it? In fact, this is a mixture of brandy and wine, which was invented in 1882 by Spyros Metaxas in Kifizia. The drink was widely recognized and after six years began to be exported to foreign countries. Officially, they did not call him brandy or cognac, as this is something special.
History of occurrence
So, Metaxa appeared more than 120 years ago, its manufacture was based on the traditions of winemaking in ancient Greece. In 1888, the first plant for the mass production of the drink opened in Piraeus. The emblem of the cognac was an ancient coin, which was found during the construction of the plant. She personified the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the battle at sea at Salamis.
The USA is the country where the most popular drink is Metaxa. What is this for Americans? This brandy is in its purest form, but grape aging. Another major country where it is preferred is Germany.
Flipping through the pages of our history, you can see that Russian emperors and empresses loved Greek alcoholic beverages: the Greek company was the official supplier of the royal court before the 1917 revolution . In Athens, they still keep the gold medal of the Russian Tsar in memory of this.
Production
To make this brandy, double cognac distillation of wine material from Crete, Attica and Corinth (regions of Greece) is used. After that, it is aged from three to fifteen years in oak barrels. Further, the 60-degree Metax brandy is blended with a special muscat wine, which is produced on the islands of Lemnos and Samos, and an infusion of rose petals and herbs. Excerpt wine is at least 12 months.
At the final stage, the drink is poured into oak barrels, put in a cold place and wait six months. After this period, the mixture is filtered and bottled in the original bottles. Currently using branded logos and stickers.
Metaxa for the Greeks
The Greeks to the question: "Metaxa - what is it?" answer ambiguously. For them, this is not just a strong alcoholic drink - it is a magnificent bouquet, incomparable aroma and a tribute to traditions. Cognac has a strength of 40%, it tastes like French, but with a special flavor of liquor. They don’t drink it, they relish it - sipping leisurely, enjoying the aroma and taste, feeling how warmth is pouring over the body with every sip.
Kinds
Depending on the exposure, there are several types of noble drink:
- three years - Metaxa 3 stars;
- five years - Metaxa 5 stars;
- seven years - Metaxa 7 stars.
Only in Greece there are varieties of 12 and 16 stars. This collection drink is aged 50 years. There are barrels with 60-, 90-year aging, but even 7 stars arouse admiration among connoisseurs. The mixture is often used to make cocktails. If desired, they add ice, lemon. Have you heard of a drink like Centenaru Metaxa? What is it? This is a drink that is poured into special porcelain vessels.
The secret to the success of the drink is a successful recipe, which is kept in secret. The export volume is 60%, 120 countries buy this brandy. Since 2000, the manufacturer is part of the Remy Cointreau group of companies. And now Metaxa is among the top 100 most popular alcoholic drinks in the world. Agree, this speaks for itself. Thus, Metaxa is a symbol of Greece, the legacy of Dionysus in glass containers.