Cognac is one of the most difficult spirits to make. Adhering to classical technology is difficult, time consuming and expensive. This requires certain varieties of white grapes and special stills made of copper (alambika). But there is a way out, then I will tell you how to make cognac at home from the available ingredients. The taste of the imitation tincture resembles the original.
Ingredients:
- vodka (alcohol 45%) – 1 liter;
- oak bark – 4 teaspoons;
- ground nutmeg – a third of a teaspoon;
- carnation – 5 buds;
- vanilla sugar – a third of a teaspoon;
- regular sugar – 2 tablespoons;
- black leaf tea – 3 teaspoons.
I advise you to take good store-bought vodka or dilute high-quality ethyl alcohol to 40-45 degrees. In many ways, the taste of cognac drink depends on the alcohol base. Oak bark can be bought at a pharmacy or prepared independently. In the second case, it is enough to cut off the young bark from oak branches in June and dry it in the sun. Its bark is much more fragrant than pharmacy bark.
Technology for making cognac at home
1. Preparation of burnt sugar. This stage is necessary in order for the caramel shade to be felt in the drink. Technology: Pour sugar into thick-walled aluminum dishes and put on a slow fire. During the melting process, sugar must be constantly stirred, otherwise it will burn. When liquid caramel forms, remove the dishes from the stove.
2. Mixing. Add all the ingredients to the bottle or jar, the order is unimportant. Personally, I first pour in vodka, then add burnt sugar, tea, oak bark, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Next, mix well and tightly close the jar with a lid.
3. Infusion. Now the drink should be infused, for this the container should be transferred to a dark place with room temperature and left for 3-4 weeks. Shake every 4-5 days, tasting. When the organoleptic suits you, go to the next step.
4. Filtration. The final stage. It remains only to open the container and strain the drink through a double layer of gauze and cotton wool to remove the sediment.
Cooked cognac is best served at room temperature. You don’t need to heat it up, after all, we have a home-made version, and not a French vintage original.
The video shows another prune-based imitation recipe.
