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For a while I lived on the Black Sea coast in a small village. Once we had a new neighbor – a Greek by nationality. We became friends with him pretty quickly – both were sailors of the merchant fleet, so there were plenty of common topics for conversation.
Once upon a time there was talk of alcohol. That was the first time I heard the word Metaxa.
This story was sent to us by a subscriber and regular blog reader Vitaly T.
What is this drink
Metaxa turned out to be a strong alcoholic drink that is very popular in Greece. It was invented at the end of the XNUMXth century.
Spyros Metaxa – that was the name of the inventor, studied all the alcohol recipes he had in the country and, on their basis, created his own drink, which was very quickly put into industrial production.
Further more – in the 60s of the last century, Metaxa was already known all over the world, and now it is classified as an elite alcohol.
All this was somehow told to me by our new neighbor, when we were once sitting on the seashore and admiring the sunset, remembering all sorts of things. Needless to say, the story intrigued me. I have never seen Metaxa on our shelves, but for some reason I really wanted to try it.
I asked my new friend a reasonable question – is it possible to cook it at home. The comrade thought for a moment and then said that it was theoretically possible.
Note! The exact recipe of Metaxa is kept by the manufacturers in the strictest confidence. However, some data still managed to break out of the production workshops.
What ingredients and equipment will be needed
The Greek immediately warned that it was not difficult to cook Metaxa at home, but for a very long time. We lived in neighboring houses. None of us planned to move in the next few years. So this fact was, in principle, insignificant.
It took a lot of ingredients.
First, we decided to figure out what we need:
- Grape 60% distillate – 8 liters. Well, it’s not so difficult to get this stuff on the Black Sea coast.
- Wine – 0,7 l. Here my friend immediately made a reservation that quality wine is needed. Cheap bodyaga for 300 rubles will not work. We took a bottle of Sander (Sander) for 1500 rubles.
- Rosehip – half a glass. Sold in a pharmacy for 50 rubles.
- Carnation – 2 buds – 100 rubles.
- A piece of cinnamon 1-1,5 cm – 120 rubles.
- Vanilla ¼ sticks — 150 rubles
- Cane sugar 1 tbsp. spoon – 220 rubles.
- Oak barrel 10 l. Metaxa will be prepared in it – from 5000 rubles and more.
The composition, of course, is interesting and quite expensive, but I really wanted to try Metaxa. So – it was worth it.
Note! Metaxa does not belong to any known type of alcohol.
The cooking process
The first stage was, so to speak, somewhat monotonous. We poured the distillate into a barrel and left it to infuse for six months. No, of course, I was prepared for the fact that Metaxa would be preparing for a long time, but not so much?!
Well, there was nothing to be done. Still, quite a lot of money was spent on it, and it’s not so close to go from our village to the store where you could buy the same cinnamon. In general, it was too late to retreat.
Eh, we would have such a barrel …
After six months, we added a bottle of wine to the distillate and again left it to infuse for another 6 months. Already at the first stage, I realized that Metaxa is an alcohol intended for patient people who know how to achieve their goals, no matter what.
Preparation of fragrant tincture
Two months before the end of the infusion period, we began to prepare the tincture, which was to become one of the parts of Metaxa in the future.
Putting the spices in a jar, we covered them with sugar and poured 300 gr. distillate. After that, our favorite process began – insisting, which in this case took 60 days.
So, a year has passed since we started preparing Metaxa. During this time, everything had time to brew, we just had to pour the tincture into a barrel, mix, bottle and … let it brew for another 2 months.
What happened as a result
And now – our ordeal is finally over. 14 months after the start of preparations, we still completed this business. I didn’t really believe it, to be honest. However, here it is – the first bottle for tasting.
Metaxa turned out to be light brown, with a pronounced nutmeg aroma. The taste had hints of oak and vanilla.
In general, not in vain we tried. A new type of alcohol for me fully met my expectations. My comrade – so he generally, in my opinion, drank it and remembered his historical homeland.
An interesting color.
Metaxa is rightfully considered one of the most popular varieties of alcohol in the world. True, it was strange that during my wanderings on the seas, I did not meet her in any tavern. Maybe it’s just not served in the ports?
How to serve and with what to use
When my neighbor and I got to the second bottle, we decided to take a more organized approach and drink Metaxa the way they drink it in Greece, or at least in normal restaurants. My friend took over the organization of the process.
We arranged a small feast for two families. The Greek served alcohol at room temperature. Poured into small liquor glasses and advised to drink in small sips.
As an appetizer, a neighbor served fruits, berries, olives and some cheese. A little later, a friend said that Metaxa can be used not only in its pure form, but also to make various cocktails from it, but that’s another story.
Have you ever taken Metaxa? If yes, what impression did she leave?
Dear readers, remember that alcohol abuse harms your body. Take care of yourself!