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“Silk brandy”, “flying brandy”, “Greek gold” – as soon as they do not call metaxa. This drink deserves attention already because of the unique, inimitable production technology, and the taste and aroma are just a song! Today we are talking about metax – what kind of alcohol it is, how it is made, what it is drunk with, and also – is it possible to make an analogue of metax on our own (spoiler – you can) and how.
Greece is a drinking country, strong alcohol is loved here no less than wine, and they know how to cook it. If ouzo, which we talked about in one of the previous articles, is an everyday drink, then metaxa brandy is booze for a special occasion, for aesthetes, and not only Greek ones. This thing is really tasty, it is in special favor with your obedient servant and a couple of million gourmets in more than 60 countries of the world.
The name “silk brandy” Metaxa owes a play on words, “metaksi” in Greek – silk.
Metaxa is included in the Top 50 most purchased alcohol brands. According to unconfirmed reports, this is the first alcohol that was tasted in space (is it really the Greek Germanus Titovuskas dragged on board?). Every minute in the world, bartenders pour 850 glasses of metaxa. And it’s not for me. Eh…
Metaxa – brandy, cognac or something else?
At first, during the first wave of popularity at the end of the XNUMXth century, the drink was positioned as the “Greek cognac Metaxa”. Later, with the spread of international law to protect regional brands, “cognac” was replaced by “brandy”. And now neither one nor the other is written on the bottle – the word “Metaxa” speaks for itself.
The drink is really neither cognac nor brandy, because, in addition to aged grape distillate, it contains additional components – wine, aromatic herbs and almost rose petals. The recipe, of course, is a strict secret, so shhh, no one. According to the modern metax master (this is the most important boss) Konstantinos Raptis, he chooses all the ingredients personally, aging and blending also takes place under his strict control.
Metxicosis is what the Greeks call an overdose of Metaxa.
“Aen Metaxa”, “Metaxa Forever” – this is the name of the drink from the most ancient barrel, stored in the cellars of the company for more than 120 years. This brandy is used exclusively for blending; only the masters of the plant tried it in its pure form. Occasionally, the precious liquid is replenished from especially well-received new batches. Each bottle of metaxa, including the simplest “three-ruble note”, contains at least a few drops from the very cherished barrel No. 1
Metaxa is based on brandy from wine produced in Crete, Corinth and Attica. The wines are mixed in special proportions and distilled twice on copper alambicas. The product is aged in Limousin oak barrels and then blended with another wine, this time Muscat, for extra smoothness and roundness. At the same stage, an infusion of aromatic herbs is introduced. After – again exposure. The total aging time starts from 3-7 years – for ordinary Metaxa – and finishes 12, 16, and even 50 years – for collection varieties.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and Spyros Metaxas
And 120 years ago, no one had heard of metax. The Greeks quietly sipped their ouzo and local chacha, praised the gods and did not know grief. Everything changed when a certain Spiros (in our opinion – Spiridon) Metaxas decided to open his own distillery in Piraeus. By the way, there is a legend that during the construction of the factory, workers found an ancient Greek coin depicting the warrior Salamis, which settled on the emblem of all drinks produced. It happened in 1888, and already in 1892 the first batches of the Greek cognac “Metax” were distributed throughout the country, and also went to Turkey and Egypt.
Spyros Metaxas is a significant and interesting figure. The comrade was a great aesthete, he was engaged in coffee, chocolate, spices. He also liked to drink. But the alcohol, which was then produced in Greece, was sharp and did not differ in particular harmony. Once Spyros drank some French cognac and sensed with his nose that in his native country you can make a drink no worse if you combine the velvety of aged brandy with the elegance of Greek wine and mountain herbs. The insight turned out to be prophetic.
For his bold experiment, Metaxas received a lot at once. George I, the then king of Greece and also not a fool to drink, having tried a new drink, immediately appointed Spyros as the official supplier of the royal court and rang about the amazing taste of metaxa to fellow monarchs from Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany, Ethiopia. Those, not wanting to yield to the enlightened Greek, also ordered a barrel each. And to the court of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, Metaxa came through the wife of George, Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna.
And off we go. In 1895, already 7 years after the opening of production – a medal of the international Bremen exhibition. In 1900, the first batch of metaxa sailed across the Atlantic and ended up in the States, where the drink, which contrasted so much with the disgusting bourbon, was immediately loved, dubbed for some reason “flying brandy”. In 1915 – the Grand Prix of the international exhibition in San Francisco. By the beginning of the First World War, Metaxa was known on three continents.
Metaxa is so popular in Greece that it has become part of the local sayings. For example, when it’s too late to do something, the Greeks say “τέλη του Μεταξά”, which means “late Metaxa”.
The case of Spyros Metaxas outlived its creator, two World Wars, and a wave of dry laws that swept the world. In 1968, already the grandchildren of the discoverer – Ilias and Spiros Jr. – built a new plant in Kifissia, which to this day is the only production line for the Metaxa drink. 60% of the bottles produced here are sent to 60 countries of the world, and the remaining 40% are drunk by the Greeks themselves. Since 2000, the company has been part of the Remy Cointreau conglomerate.
Brandy Metaxa at home
It is difficult to reproduce Metaxa at home, but it is possible, although few people decide on such bold experiments, there are practically no exact recipes. What you can’t do without is high-quality alcohol (in this case, homemade cognac from wine) and a prepared oak barrel. Spices and wine are used simple and affordable, the author of the recipe believes that rose petals and other romantic nonsense are just a marketing ploy of the drink manufacturers.
So, for a 10-liter oak barrel you need:
- 60% grape distillate (best of all – from a white “cracker” of medium quality) – 7-8 liters;
- Icewein, Riesling or Tokay wine, white, sweet – 1 bottle;
- Rosehip – 0.5 cups;
- Carnation – 2 buttons;
- Cinnamon – a piece 1-1.5 cm long;
- A quarter of a medium vanilla stick;
- A tablespoon of brown sugar.
The composition of spices can be varied. For example, connoisseurs distinguish notes of white pepper, nutmeg, dried fruits, cocoa, caramel in metax … However, most of these aromas, with fair aging, can be imparted to the drink by oak.
Brandy Metaxa at home. Photo by shark1968
Preparing a drink is easy, but long. The distillate must be aged in a barrel for at least six months, after which it is diluted with good wine in a ratio of 10: 1, a bottle of wine for 7 liters, and poured into a barrel again. The mixture is infused again for another six months. At this time, you need to prepare a tincture on the same distillate, pour spices and cane sugar with 300 grams of alcohol and insist in a dark place for 2 months. Combine the filtered tincture with an aged wine-distillate mixture, let it rest in bottles for another 2 months, after which it can be tasted.
How and with what do they drink Metaxa?
Different Metaxa is drunk in different ways. An ordinary drink aged up to 5 years can be used in cocktails, it can also be diluted with water – like whiskey – or with ice. Technologist Konstantinos Raptis recommends using snacks such as chocolate, lemon, seafood, nuts, grapes, cheese, fresh lettuce, and black caviar sandwiches.
7-year-old Metaxa is already better to taste as a digestif, adding a maximum of 1 ice cube to the drink, with very light snacks. This is where the classic 3K rule comes into play. And truly aged varieties from 12 years old are drunk only in their pure form, from wide glasses, heating the drink with the warmth of their hands. Metaxa goes well with cigars, it is easier and more pleasant to drink than brandy, thanks to its light liqueur taste and the famous velvety softness.
But the main thing is not to forget that you are holding in your hands a real masterpiece of distilling art, the pride of Greece, a living and breathing legend. Metaxa does not tolerate haste. It should be used exclusively in pleasant company, in tiny sips, setting your thoughts on a dreamy, even philosophical wave. Drinking thoughtfully, being attentive to nuances, it is easy to “catch” everything that connoisseurs appreciate in metax. Already after the second glass you begin to believe that this drink was made on the land where the gods once roamed.
The article uses materials from the websites grekomania.ru, The Way of the Gourmet (interview by Konstantinos Raptis) and the homedistiller forum (recipe from a user with the nickname shark1968).