"Chocolate brandy" - this is not a separate sort of wine, but one of the many cocktails based on vodka. The recipe for such alcohol is extremely simple, the drink is easy to make at home, can be stored for a long period without loss of aroma and taste. Traditionally, sommeliers prefer to taste cognac wines as an original drink: in this way the taste of the vine and the aroma of the barrel seem brighter and more saturated.
The mass consumer, in turn, prefers to bite cognac with a bar of chocolate, as a result of which the people have such a simple, but original and rather tasty recipe. "Chocolate brandy" is now extremely common, as it combines a high alcohol strength with a spicy chocolate flavor and an almond aftertaste. Despite its prevalence, it can not be found in liquor stores and even on shelves in a supermarket. This drink belongs to the segment of alcohol purely home-made.
Cocktail ingredients
The recipe for "Chocolate Cognac" is quite variable, because it may include several types of alcohol, chocolate and spices. Depending on the preferences of the distillery, you can add notes of citrus, cloves, mimosa or tobacco to the cocktail by choosing a small wooden oak barrel for storage. The simplest version of "Chocolate Cognac" includes:
- vodka or moonshine, 4.5 liters;
- sugar, 1.2 kilograms;
- water, 300 milliliters;
- milk, 400 milliliters;
- vanilla sugar, 15-20 grams;
- dark chocolate, 200 grams.
It is better to use the so-called cooked chocolate, concentrated black with a high content of cocoa beans, to make Chocolate Cognac. It is more expensive, but it will make the cocoa flavor in the cocktail more pronounced and brighten the taste of ethyl alcohol, in the event that the vodka was of poor quality.
Chocolate brandy at home can be made from moonshine. In this case, for the alcoholic basis of the cocktail, you can choose drinks that are infused with pepper or spices. Sugar is better to add a little less. The taste of the drink will be with bitterness and a bright aroma.
Cooking specifics
The recipe for Chocolate Cognac is relatively simple. Chocolate should be crushed first into small pieces, then until crushed, and then melt in a water bath. While the mixture in the pan is on low heat, add vodka and vanilla sugar, mix thoroughly, remove the pan from the heat and put in a secluded place. Before this, the solution must be poured into a fermentation tank, a glass jar is suitable.
Cover the mixture with a
capron lid and remove from direct sunlight.
Mix the chocolate solution daily for three days. For the second part of the recipe, you need to prepare a syrup from sugar and water. The mixture from the jar should be filtered, remove too large pieces of chocolate, pour into storage containers. After that add syrup there and leave the solution in the refrigerator for several hours. Then homemade Chocolate Cognac is aged for 2-3 weeks until the taste becomes saturated, and the color is densely brown. Then the drink can be served at the table.
Taste palette and use in cooking
Chocolate brandy can be added to pastries. Then the dessert will receive not only a bright taste of cocoa beans, but also a sharp emphasis on alcohol, which is ideal for an adult audience. In addition, a cocktail can be served as a dessert, after thickening it in the refrigerator. This cognac is an excellent choice for a romantic candlelight dinner. Unlike stronger alcoholic drinks, this cocktail combines strength with a mild chocolate flavor. Ultimately, it can be the basis for your own dessert if you soak cakes in cognac or make alcoholic jelly.
Truth in wine
Depending on the chosen alcohol base and the type of chocolate, the taste of brandy also varies. It can be more creamy if the chocolate was milk, and in the manufacture of syrup, emphasis was placed on milk, not water. Cognac can also be brighter and more saturated. To do this, you should choose dark chocolate and moonshine on spices. It is important to observe the strength of the drink, if you take liquor, the cocktail will become too thick and cloyingly sweet, which only spoils the emphasis on chocolate.
Quick cocktail option
If the owner does not have 3 weeks in order for the drink to mature and become more fragrant, then you can make a version of the cocktail in a few minutes. To do this, it is enough to melt the chocolate to a liquid mass, squeeze the juice of a quarter of lemon into a shaker, and then mix. Cognac, 50 milliliters is added to the mixture, and poured into deep glasses. Serve better in a warm form, like mulled wine, then the chocolate does not have time to settle at the bottom of the glass. A decoration may be a slice of lime, which will dilute the taste of a cocktail, or sugar frost.
As a result, Chocolate Cognac is a simple, and most importantly affordable way to make an interesting and non-sugary drink at home, which is easy to surprise guests. The recipe will allow you to change the components and prepare absolutely original versions of the cocktail. Do not be afraid to experiment.