How to produce cognac? What is cognac made of?

A good cognac is appreciated in any society. It has a unique taste and pleasant aroma. The drink does not tolerate haste and haste. To try it out, you need time. None of the alcoholic beverages cause so much admiration and respect as the old well-seasoned cognac. From what do this miracle 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 AD. E., When the Romans brought grapes to the territory of the country. A mild, sunny climate promoted rich harvests. Since the 12th century, the French have begun to actively produce wine and by the 15th century an excess of drink had formed. From long storage, it was exhausted, spoiled, and it was decided to distill the wine into alcohol.

About how the cognac appeared, there are several legends. According to one of them, Chevalier de la Croix decided to overtake the wine twice. This idea arose after a nightmare. He poured the received liquid into the barrel. After 15 years, Chevalier decided to try a drink. Opening the barrel, he was surprised that the content was half as much, and the taste and flavor of the drink became more saturated and much more pleasant.

Another version says that in the 17th century winemakers were unable to take out barrels with grape vodka in time. The reason was the English fleet, which did not allow the French ships to sail. Contrary to the worst expectations of winemakers, vodka did not become worse, but on the contrary, it improved its taste qualities. Since then, the French have begun experimenting with wood for barrels, its contents and aging time.

How to make cognac in the factory

The technology of making the drink has been developed for many centuries. There are many subtleties in it that can not be neglected, otherwise it will adversely affect the final result.

Much attention is paid to what kind of grapes make cognac. Today only a few varieties are allowed for production. Harvesting takes place in early October. Grape clusters immediately sent under the press. Berries do not separate from the branches. Press use horizontal or automatic. The main thing is that he does not crush the grape bones. The resulting must is left to ferment for 2 to 4 weeks. It is interesting that sugar does not participate in the process. The result is a 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. April 1, it is poured on oak barrels and stand 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. At the end of time, the strength of the drink decreases, and the liquid evaporates. The losses are up to 4%. The French joke that this part is accounted for by the angels.

What is stored cognac

What storage containers are made of is very important. The quality of the drink depends on this. According to the research, the old container conveys about 2,000 components of wood to alcohol. For the production of barrels the wood of centenary oaks is used. It must be strong and porous. You can not use nails to fasten the barrels.

Trying to keep the tanks, the French resort to sophisticated methods. Even bred inside spiders, tk. Believe that the web can prolong the life of the tree. But mostly use the old proven method - remove the waste layer of wood after a few decades, and the barrel can serve further.

Often, cognac aging is judged by its color. It is believed that old drinks have darker shades. This is not quite true. Perhaps, the cognac was stored in a barrel, which was subjected to a weak firing. The liquid in this container is almost light.

Classification of cognac

The quality of this drink is high. Depending on the aging and the raw materials used, cognacs are divided into three types:

1. Ordinary. For their production take cognac spirits of small aging, 3-5 years. Depending on the age of the raw materials, the number of asterisks is stamped on the label. Fortress of beverages is 40-42%. The older the cognac, the more pronounced taste it has.
2. Vintage. For these drinks you need raw materials for at least 6-7 years. Among them we can distinguish mature, aged highest quality, old cognacs. The fortress reaches 57%.
3. Collectible. From vintage cognacs differ in that their shelf life is at least five years longer.

Brandy and Armagnac

Cognac is made in many countries. But according to the rules, the so-called only those drinks that are produced in the town of Charentes, one of the regions of France. If alcoholic beverages are produced using the same technology, but in a different location, it will be called "brandy". By quality and taste, it can be no worse than brandy. From what make a drink, on what technology - the main parameters that affect the quality of products. Since brandy does not have high requirements, the process of making it is simpler, and as a raw material, any kind of grapes is used.

Speaking of cognac, we can not 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 is known for more than 300 years. The technology of manufacturing armagnac differs in that raw materials are distilled once. The drink is aged in oak barrels from 3 to 20 years. The requirements for it are set as high as for cognac. Armagnac is allowed to be made only in three regions of France out of ten certain varieties of grapes. The drink is not intended for import, so its production is limited, and the price is high.

How to make cognac yourself

This quality cognac is an expensive treat, and not everyone can afford it. Many people are surprised when they hear: "And we make cognac at home." Is it possible? For fans of cognac, there are many recipes that make this drink at home. Home production is very different from the way cognac is made at the factory. The main principle - the insistence of strong alcohol on the oak bark, herbs, berries, spices. Of course, the result will be far from the original. It is more correct to call it cognac tincture. Plus home production is that there is no doubt about the quality of the product. In addition, it will not be difficult to assemble the necessary ingredients.

Homemade cognac from moonshine

To make a drink you need to take an alcoholic base with a high alcohol content. But before making cognac from the moonshine, the liquid needs to be cleaned. This can be done in 3 ways:

1. In the brew, put the tablets of activated carbon, approximately 4 plates. Insist 7-10 days. Then filter through cotton wool wrapped in cheesecloth.
2. In the container with moonshine throw a few potassium permanganate crystals and leave to infuse. After precipitation, strain the liquid through cotton wool.
3. In the brew, pour the milk at the rate of 2: 1. Stir. When the milk is curdled, filter the drink through the cheesecloth.

After cleaning the liquid, you can start the cooking process. There are many recipes telling how to make cognac from moonshine. You will need oak branches, so that the taste and aroma of cognac is closer to the original. They need to be dried, chopped (to make short chips), if desired, you can burn. Instead of branches often use the bark of oak. In the glass bottle you need to pour in the moonshine, add chips to it, and cork it. The drink is infused for at least a month in a dark place.

Homemade cognac from alcohol

Instead of moonshine, you can use a different base. In the original, cognac is made from wine alcohol. Since it is very difficult to get it, then another ingredient is often used. For example, many amateurs are interested in how to make brandy from alcohol? First, dilute alcohol with water to 40 ⁰ . In a jar, pour 3 liters of diluted alcohol, add to it 2 tbsp. Spoons of burnt sugar, ½ tsp ground mashed nutmeg, 5 tbsp. Spoons of crushed oak bark, 3 pieces of cloves and a little vanilla. Ingredients mix well and leave a container with a 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 quality vodka. This will get a softer cognac.

What is the drink made of yet? In addition to spices, herbs are used, for example, St. John's wort, lemon balm, bay leaf, tarragon. Often the recipes present vanillin. You can find zest, septums from walnut shells, black tea, coffee. The composition depends solely on the taste preferences of the manufacturer.

How to choose

Today, the stores offer a large selection of this drink. Since not everyone will agree to make a homemade cognac, the question arises as to 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. Flowing over the walls of the liquid means that the cognac is young. Transparency is one of the most important characteristics. If through the liquid you can see the fingerprint left on the opposite side of the glass, then the quality of the brandy is at a height.

Now we should pay attention to the speed with which the drink drips down the walls of the vessel. To do this, the glass should be slowly rotated around its axis. In cognac with 20 years of aging, the traces, the so-called "legs", are even, with droplets, stored for 15 seconds. The drink lasts 5-8 years, drains 3 times faster.

The aroma of cognac deserves a separate conversation. It is revealed gradually. At a distance of 5 cm from the edge of the glass are caught light odors, among which there is a note of vanilla. Near the edge of the fragrance becomes floral-fruity. In the final, the smell becomes heavy. Now you can try a drink. They drink cognac slowly. Every little sip should bring pleasure with taste and aroma.

A good cognac causes delight among the tasters. However, a home-made drink also does not leave people indifferent. When at a family celebration guests try it, they admire the pleasant taste and aroma. A modest admission: "We make cognac at home" gives rise to a surprise that grows into admiration. Of course, everyone will want to know the recipe for a wonderful drink. And to share or not - it is up to the owner to solve the secrets of making home brandy.