What is Latgale brandy recipe? What are the features of cooking the product? We will consider these and other questions in the article. Latgalian cognac is an alcoholic beverage widely distributed in Latvia. In the manufacture of tincture is simple, it tastes like brandy, so it can be recommended for creating distilleries-debutants at home. A recipe was invented in Latvia, in the historical region of Latgale, which has long been famous for excellent recipes for homemade alcohol and moonshine.
Masterpiece
It seems that Latgale and cognac have nothing in common with each other. The well-known drink from the best vineyards, aged in oak barrels, and Latgalian moonshine are two different concepts. But in spite of everything, Latvian distillers created an amazing masterpiece that looks like original cognac.
What is good Latgale brandy recipe? With the help of it, you can ennoble sound moonshine and make an aristocratic drink. The tincture, created in Latgalian, has different manufacturing options. We will present you an original proven recipe that for a long time gives an excellent result.
Latgale
Latgale (Latgale) - a historical region in the east of Latvia, occupies about a quarter of the state’s area and is known for developed moonshining. It was local distilleries who invented the cognac recipe in Latgalian. According to them, the tincture most accurately repeats the smell, taste and color of real cognacs. It is created in two weeks from simple moonshine, without aging in barrels.
Today cognac in Latgalian is unofficially considered to be Latvian folk alcohol.
It should be noted that according to international law, “cognac” can only be called grape distillate aged in barrels for at least a couple of years. Moreover, made in the French province of Poitou-Charentes according to the established method. Distillates based on grape juice from other countries are called brandy. Latgalian cognac does not fall into either the first or second class.
However, this does not prevent other countries from inventing their own liquor and calling it “cognac”. And yet they can only trade them on the territory of their state. Export to other powers with a name that is not compatible with reality is closed.
Gentrification
The Latgale brandy recipe was invented by the people in order to ennoble the distillate and give it a certain bouquet that can veil low-grade moonshine. The year of its appearance is unknown, but Latvians admire their creation. The inhabitants of Latgale believe that it is better to make alcohol in accordance with ancient recipes than to buy ready-made vodka in a shop.
Ingredients
So, we will consider the recipe of Latgale cognac from moonshine in as much detail as possible. For cognac copy you can use any high-grade alcohol - rectified, pure vodka, alcohol, moonshine. Of course, the latter must be well cleaned, it should not have too pronounced taste and have a smell. Since the oak bark used does not give such a noble deep aroma as cooking in oak barrels, spices are added to the product. You need to have:
- a small piece of nutmeg;
- 3 l of vodka or moonshine (dilute alcohol previously);
- 2 tbsp. l dry oak bark (available at the pharmacy);
- 2 tbsp. l water;
- 5 grains of coriander;
- citric acid (at the tip of a knife);
- 3 tbsp. l Sahara.
Technology
How to make cognac in Latgalian? The recipe, tested by generations, still surprises fans of this tincture. So, chop the nutmeg and coriander in a mortar before use - then the smell will be just amazing. Oak bark is saturated with tannins, which with prolonged insistence on alcohol can give an astringent repellent effect and bitter.
Before use, pour boiling water over it for five minutes, remove water and then add to the tincture.
Heat 100 g of moonshine so that it becomes warm, and pour the caramel made into it. To make caramel, mix citric acid with water and sugar, place in a soup ladle or spoon over an open flame and evaporate until golden. It is important not to overdo it, as Latgalian cognac will be spoiled by the smell of burnt caramel.
You must adhere to the following advice: during aging, the degree of tincture changes, so it is better to use moonshine of 50% strength, and not 40%.
Next, you need to mix moonshine, all the spices and caramel, place the mixture in a glass container and put it in a dark room. Shake the bottle from time to time. Take the sample after seven days of exposure. The finished drink should acquire a red tint, astringent taste and oak aroma. If you still don’t like the taste - leave it to insist further. It is not recommended to withstand tincture for more than a month, as oak bark will saturate the product too much with tannin. Then moonshine, which has passed the exposure, filter and tightly close for further storage in a cool dark place.
How to drink?
So, you already know how to make cognac in Latgalian. The recipe for this drink is very simple. It is known that cognacs and young brandies are drunk from small cognac glasses, in which a pungent odor easily disappears. It is better to drink a Latgalian drink without biting. From a glass with a volume of 150-300 ml.
If you store cognac in Latgalian in a dark place, then its shelf life will be up to five years.
Tips & Testimonials
Did you like Latgale cognac recipe? What kind of reviews do people leave about this drink? Many report that they got a very decent drink, with a pleasant taste and beautiful color. Some argue that if the shade does not seem saturated enough, then the product needs to be tinted with color.
And even amateurs say that the bark conveys oak cognac notes well to the product, but it cannot interrupt the smell and taste of poor-quality moonshine. Therefore, they recommend taking a good base for making the drink. For example, use fractional distillation.
Many are sure that in the recipe it is absolutely necessary to use oak bark, since chips or oak chips give a different result. People recommend be sure to add nutmeg to the tincture, but in small quantities. Those who withstood the drink for more than a month complain that they got a bitter product, which we talked about above.