How to drink brandy: the subtleties of drinking brandy

Do people know that brandy should be drunk by the rules? Previously, such a drink was poured into a pile, ate with any products and food. Today, true connoisseurs of high-quality alcohol know a lot about drinks and cherish cognac for years of aging. They follow all the canons to enjoy the smell and taste.

Cognac fans create a suitable entourage, choose the appropriate glasses, present the drink at a certain temperature, conduct a tasting and do not forget about the right choice of snacks. And some lovers manage to make brandy-based cocktails in order to experience new smells and tastes.

Creating the right environment

The significance of the choice of glasses

The next step is to pick up not glasses, but classic wide glasses, narrowed at the top. They are otherwise called - “snifters”, which in English means sniff. For quite some time now glasses began to be replaced with similar options in the form of a tulip. Professionals believe that such a vessel is able to better convey the aroma of the drink. Although fans of alcohol do not see much of a difference between a snifter and a tulip-shaped glass.

Temperature matters

It is important to drink the drink slowly, with a sense of the delight of every sip. To achieve this, when serving cognac must be a certain temperature. It can not be stored in the refrigerator or any other cold place.The best choice is a cupboard, a bar where the bottle will be permanently.

Alcohol is served at an ideal temperature of 20-25 degrees. It is opened half an hour before use. You can not fill the snifter completely. The drink should occupy the fourth part of the glass and be served after the second course or at the same time with a cigar and coffee.

The important role of tasting

The process of tasting begins with determining the quality of alcohol. To do this, take a glass in hand. From the outside, the snifter leaves a fingerprint and looks at it through poured brandy. The drink is considered quality if the print is clearly translucent. Otherwise - it is a fake. Then slowly rotate the glass in the hand around its own axis. Traces (“legs”) are formed on the walls of the sniffer. They look at them more closely to determine what extracts of alcohol.

• If traces remain for 5 seconds, then the drink is 5-8 years.
• If the "legs" remain on the walls of the glass for up to 15 seconds, then cognac is 20 years old.

The color of the drink may be different. It is all about aging, as well as the amount of caramel used. Cognac is found light yellow, brown hue.It is believed that the more seasoned alcoholic beverage is a dark color, but not in all cases.

After examining the external data, begin to evaluate the flavor. Three waves of the smell of such a drink are accepted.

1. At a distance of 5-10 cm from the edge of the snifter, the first wave is felt. A person catches a light smell of vanilla.
2. Near the edges of the glass you can feel the aroma of fruits and flowers. Here begins the second wave. Moreover, in a good drink, the smell of violet, linden, as well as apricot and rose is especially captured.
3. Directly in the snifter itself there is a complex combination of smells, close to the flavor of port wine. This is the third wave, allowing you to enjoy a bouquet of smells.

Proper drinking rules

After tasting, it is worth going to the drinking process itself. It is carried out slowly, with the sensation and evaluation of all qualities, taste. Cognac drink in small sips. Hold it in your mouth for a couple of seconds. This allows you to catch the effect, called the "peacock tail."

The drink should slowly spread over the tongue, sip, so that the aftertaste remains. There should not be obvious alcohol tones. Alcohol is considered good if a pleasant aftertaste lasts a long time.You can warm the snifter with the palms of your hands for a couple of minutes, then take a sip of cognac. The taste will be a little different.

The combination of brandy with food

The classic supply of such alcohol is made without a snack. This drink is not combined with a dense meal. It is presented at the end of the meal, served for dessert, observing the relevant canons. They are most of all adhered to by the French, who first drink coffee, then enjoy and enjoy cognac, and then smoke a cigar.

Some connoisseurs of such a drink choose fruit, chocolate, hard cheeses, as well as seafood, lean meat or pies as a snack. The important point here is the absence of lemon. This citrus dulls the taste of an expensive drink.

Often, cognac is a component of various cocktails. It goes well with liquor, rum or syrup, juices, martini, including milk. For such cases, it is better to choose a brandy with three asterisks. In some places, the drink is served with ice as an aperitif.

According to the rules of long exposure cognac is not made to mix with other drinks, both alcoholic and ordinary.

Recommendation
The beverage bottle should always be upright. If the drink is not finished, then it is poured into another glass container of a smaller volume and tightly closed. We can not allow contact unfinished brandy cork. Otherwise, he gradually loses his qualities.

The combination of brandy with coffee

Due to the taste and aroma indicators of cognac, it recharges a person with energy, improves mood and warms. Can it be combined with coffee and how to do it right?

There are certain rules according to which you can feel the pleasant smell and taste of both drinks.

Classic option

1. One teaspoon of ground coffee is poured into a small strainer. Good tamp powder.
2. One teaspoon of brandy is poured over coffee in a strainer, on top of which a teaspoon of ground coffee is again spread.
3. Keep the strainer with the contents over a cup, slowly pour 100 ml of brandy through it.
4. Cover the top of the cup with a small plate, set aside for a few minutes.
5. After the specified time, sugar is added to the drink and instantly drunk.

African method

1. Take a half teaspoons of ground coffee, half a spoon of cocoa, a little cinnamon powder.
2. The listed ingredients are mixed, pour 100 ml of boiling water, put on the fire, boil for up to three minutes. The liquid should not boil.
3. After cooking, the hot drink is poured into a cup, granulated sugar is poured, if desired, and one and a half teaspoons of brandy is poured.

Vienna method

1. To a teaspoon of ground coffee add 100 ml of hot boiled water. The liquid is put on a slow fire, boiled, brought to a boil.
2. Take another dish, in which they mix a little cinnamon, a couple of spicy cloves, a few pieces of sugar cubes, add lemon zest. To the resulting mixture pour brandy and set on fire.
3. Coffee is added to the composition, set aside for a few minutes. Filter the mixture, the remaining liquid is poured into the cup.

The combination of brandy with cola

Mixed brandy with cola is considered inappropriate and even harmful. But today it is popular and is popular with many people. The main thing is to maintain a proportion and know how to properly prepare such a drink. You can try it not only in a restaurant or bar, but also at home, having prepared it yourself.

Classic option

1. The glass is filled with ice, cognac and cola are poured over it in the same ratio.
2. If guests drink this drink throughout the evening, then it is worth lowering the degree. At the same time maintain a proportion of brandy and cola, as 1: 3.

Cocktail "Brave macho"

1. A glass filled with 350 ml of cola and 35 ml of cognac, pour a little instant coffee.
2. The resulting composition is well mixed and drunk.

Cocktail "Cuban brandy"

• Mix 20 ml of lemon juice, 50 ml of brandy, 4 pieces of ice.
• The liquid is poured into a glass, add 30 ml of cola.
• Cocktail is ready to eat.

For every connoisseur of brandy is important to follow the rules of his drink. The main thing to get pleasure from the taste and aroma of the drink.

Video: how to drink brandy and what to eat