Now on the shelves of shops full of alcoholic beverages, and its range is increasing. In order to replenish the list of favorite drinks, you need not be afraid to try the new items of already well-known manufacturers.
Naturally, it is impossible to try all alcohol, and you should not strive for this, since alcoholism is a dangerous disease. But still there is really high-quality alcohol that will give pleasure to true connoisseurs. These include, among others, alcoholic drinks in Turkmenistan. Among them, two lines of cognac stand out especially: “Derbent” and Serkerde.
A bit of history
1956 is considered the year of birth of the Derbent Brandy Factory. But this is not entirely true. In fact, Turkmen cognac appeared in 1861, it was then that the owners of the first steam distillery became the happy owners of the tax incentive for smoking alcohol. Production was gaining momentum with tremendous speed, and by 1881 it had grown to twelve thousand buckets of grape spirit per year.
The industry developed until 1914. But then the First World War began, then prohibition was introduced, then the revolution. It was these events that led to the fact that the Turkmen cognac almost ceased to exist. Only in 1925 did it resume production again.
Reborn plant
After the war, the industry began to rebuild. For this, the capacities of the old distillery and the raw material base of several miraculously surviving vineyards were used. The plant started operating only in 1956, and already in 1957 they approved the formulation of Derbent cognac - this is the first branded drink of the plant.
Cognac Turkmen factory nowadays
At the moment, it is a powerful plant with a full production cycle. In addition to fifteen brands of Turkmen cognac, the assortment includes brandy, vodka, grappa, calvados and a full list of wines. The company owns three hundred and fifty hectares of vineyards, in the future it is planned to expand the area to 1000 hectares.
The plant processes sixty thousand tons of berries annually. About four and a half decalitres of wine materials are obtained from this amount of grapes. Turkmen cognacs were among the first in our country to receive a license that allowed them to produce alcohol controlled by origin.
This means that the state guarantees that the plant’s products are made from grapes harvested exclusively from their vineyards, where only established varieties grow. Moreover, drinks should be bottled in a strictly defined area.
For example, Derbent brandy can be produced only from Rkatsiteli, Uni Blanc and Vitis vinifera varieties that grow in the Derbent, Sergokalinsky and Magaramkentsky districts.
Cognac "Turkmenbashi"
Another bright representative of the Turkmen alcohol market is Serkerde cognac. This noble drink has a special tenderness and lightness. It also belongs to the category of controlled descent. This cognac is also called "Turkmen nectar." The drink was made in honor of the first president, who led Turkmenistan after the collapse of the Union. The popularity of Serkerde in the homeland came instantly. The drink received many awards at international competitions and exhibitions, so most of it was sent for export.
The popularity of this alcohol is great to this day. This is not surprising, since manufacturers skillfully combine long traditions with the latest technology. This cognac is considered unique, although it is made from grape varieties that have always been used in this industry. Production technology has not changed either.
Berries are picked exclusively by hand. Then they are sorted, washed and sent under the press. Next, the juice is poured into special containers, in which the fermentation process takes place. It lasts about a month. The result is a fresh fresh wine with a slight acidity, the strength of which is ten degrees. It is this amount of alcohol, according to technologists, that is ideal for the production of cognac alcohol.
Then the wine goes to distillation. The first time the liquid is distilled only in copper containers. The resulting alcohol is carefully filtered and sent to a second distillation. It lasts twelve hours. The head and tail are drained, leaving only the "heart" parts, the strength of which reaches 69-72% of alcohol. Then the raw materials are sent for aging. The blend includes alcohol from the age of 7 to 25 years.