2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Brandy (Brandy) is a collective name for alcoholic beverages that are obtained by distilling wine or fermented juice from other fruits - apricots, cherries, pears and others. Thus, different types of brandy fruits are obtained, and the corresponding fruits for their production must be distilled during the production process. If the fruits are soaked in grape alcohol and then sweetened, they cannot be classified as brandies but as liqueurs. As a rule, brandy contains 36-60% alcohol.
Brandy history
Concentrated alcoholic beverages have been known since antiquity and were known in ancient Greece, ancient Rome and China. Brandy, as it is known today, appeared in the 12th century in the Armagnac region (France), and gained popularity and widespread use in the 14th century. Wine distillation was first described by the papal physician Arnaud de Villeneuve in 1285.
Initially, the distillation of wine was a way to store it and make it easier for traders to transport it. Water extracted during the distillation process was added to the brandy. Over time, it turned out that after storage in wooden barrels, the drink became better than the wine from which it was obtained.
Types of brands
There are three main types brandy, each species is divided into several types. Unless otherwise specified, brandy refers only to wine brandy obtained by distilling grape wine. The three types are wine brands, marmalade brands and fruit brands.
1. Wine brandy - is obtained by distillation of fermented grape juice. There are several more famous varieties of wine brandy.
- Cognac - produced in the area of the city of Cognac, France. It is obtained by double distillation. According to European legislation, the name cognac can only be used for brandy produced in the Cognac area.
- Armagnac - produced in the Armagnac region, which is located in the southwestern part of France. It is obtained by continuous single distillation in copper distillers, after which it is aged in oak barrels from the provinces of Limousin and Gascony. Armagnac is the first distilled spirit in France.
It matures for 12-20 years, and in some cases up to 30 years. The same goes for the name here - the name Armagnac is used only for brands produced in the Armagnac area.
- Sherry brandy - the area of production is Jerez, southern Spain. This is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in Spain.
- Greek brandy - the most famous Greek brandy is the metaxa, which has been produced since 1888.
Other types of brandy are Armenian cognac, Moldovan brandy, American brandy.
2. Gingerbread brandy - as the name implies, it is produced from grape marc which remains after the wine juice has been separated. Balkan brandy and Italian grappa belong to this type of brandy.
3. Fruit brandy - is made by distilling other fruits such as plums, peaches, apples, apricots, cherries, cherries, raspberries and others. They are usually transparent and are drunk chilled. There are several better known types of fruit brandy.
- Plum brandy - this is plum brandy brandy, which is produced mainly in Serbia and other Balkan countries.
- Calvados - apple brandy, produced in the French region of Basse-Normandie.
- Pine - this is a Slovak brandy made from juniper berries.
- Krishvasser - cherry brandy, produced in France and Germany.
- Framboise - French brandywhich is produced from raspberries.
Apart from the raw material for the production of brandy, there is also a classification according to the way it is aged. According to her, brandy can be classified into three main groups.
No aging - fruit brandies and most marc brandies do not mature after the distillation process, resulting in a clear, colorless liquid.
Aging in barrels - brandies with brownish and golden color are aged in oak barrels for a specific period of time, as a result of which they acquire a very characteristic taste, aroma and softness.
The process of celery - Some brandies mature through the use of the so-called. celery system. Usually Spanish brandies mature this way.
Serving brandy
It is customary to drink brandy during the colder months of the year, because it has the pleasant property of quickly warming not only the body but also the soul. According to the label, good brandy goes well with chocolate, coffee and cigars. The brandy is served about an hour before dinner as an aperitif or after dessert.
The appropriate cup is tumbest, with the diameter of the opening at the top being drastically narrower than that at the base of the cup. This is not a coincidence at all - the idea is to concentrate the strong aroma to the surface and to stun the senses.
The classic cup for brandy there is a small stool, which is also not accidental - when holding the cup in hand, one should place the stool between the index finger and the middle finger, thus wrapping the palm around the bottom of the cup.
This is done to warm the drink, thanks to which its aroma is released more actively, and the taste is extremely soft and warming. It is not customary to drink brandy with ice, although there are known cases in which people confuse brandy with liqueur.
As it turned out, the best company for brandy are chocolate, cigar and coffee, but in different countries there are different combinations. In Germany it is served with salty biscuits, in Greece it is served with strips of carrots in lemon juice. In our country, brandy is often served with nuts, which are typical for whiskey, but not for this drink. It is not customary to drink brandy with salads and various fabrics. It is taken in small sips to pass slowly through the esophagus, touching all the senses.
Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander Cocktail or Brandy Alexander undoubtedly ranks in the top 20 of the most famous cocktails in the world. It was created at the beginning of the last century and is one of the leaders in cocktails with a creamy structure.
It is not very sure who the cocktail is named after, but according to one version it is the Russian Tsar Alexander II. The necessary products for Brandy Alexander are: 30 ml brandy, 60 ml of liquid cream, 30 ml of Cocoa Dark liqueur and for decoration - nutmeg.
Method of preparation: Prepare a chilled martini glass in advance. Fill the shaker with ice and pour the above ingredients without the nut. Beat well and strain into a chilled glass. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and serve.
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