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Probably, only Russian people have a habit of drinking cognac from shot glasses. And personally, my whole gut rebels against such a blasphemous attitude towards a noble French drink.
And my favorite father-in-law also likes to pre-cool the cognac. He does not respond to my exhortations and does not want to drink this exquisite drink correctly. I hope that at least this information is useful to you.
What glasses are considered traditional for cognac
The peculiarity of cognacs is that they have a rich aroma that cannot be missed. The process of drinking brandy, including cognac, is not about tipping shots one after another.
It’s an elegant and slow process. The task of the glass is to emphasize the noble aroma, and not to kill it. And now I will tell you how to choose dishes for cognac.
Useful information: to check the quality of brandy, pour it into a glass.
Leave an imprint on the outside of the wall and look at it through the drink. If the imprint is visible, then the cognac is good.
The case in the history of cognac played a decisive role. Due to the fact that the wine spoiled during long transportation across the sea, the Dutch of the 17th century decided to distill it into a distillate. The French picked up this technology, developed it and brought it to perfection.
The resulting drink was rich and strong, and its storage in oak barrels gave it a special aroma. Of course, there were no special dishes for serving brandy yet.
First, in 1674, Ravenscroft allowed the development of glassware technology. However, the dependence of the taste of the drink on the shape of the glass was discovered much later.
In the middle of the 20th century, Klaus Riedel proved a revolutionary theory: the shape of the glass directly affects the taste of the drink.
Riedel’s famous Burgundy glass is now on display at the New York Museum. Riedel also participated in the creation of the first cognac glass. This glass is called snifter. Later, under cognac, they began to make another type of wine glasses – a tulip.
Reference: French winemaker Jules Jove in 1950 proved that the most important factor in enhancing the aroma of a drink would be the ratio of the volume of liquid to its surface area.
That is, the smaller the volume and the larger the surface, the brighter the smell is revealed.
What glasses to take for cognac
So, the choice of a cognac glass lies between two options. Each of them most often has a leg, and the top of the bowl itself tapers towards the edges. This is necessary to retain cognac vapors.
- Snifter. The wine glass got its name from the English word “sniff”. Its shape is conducive to the fact that the nose is placed in a glass, and the drink itself can be warmed through the glass with the palm of your hand. Warmed cognac reveals its aroma. The volume of the snifter can reach 390 ml.
Snifters.
- Tulip. This is a more modern type of cognac glass. Its shape resembles a half-opened tulip. Volume from 100 to 140 ml. If the snifter has a short leg, then the tulip is always long.
Tulips.
Any of the options will allow you to enjoy the drink to the fullest.
How to serve brandy
The environment for serving cognac should be conducive to the reception of a noble drink. A bottle and glasses are placed on the table. It is believed that the older the cognac, the greater the volume should be in the glass. It is best to pour cognac into a glass by one third, so its aroma will be revealed best.
In France, the “rule of three Cs” has developed for the use of cognac: café, chocolat, cigare (coffee, chocolate, cigar). It is with these three “C” that cognac is served there.
In America, cognac can be served in combination with tonic. In Scandinavian countries, it is customary to drink cognac with desserts.
Russians, on the other hand, prefer to drink cognac “à la Nicola” with a bite of lemon. However, this tradition is not traced anywhere, except for the countries of the post-Soviet space.
Please note: before taking a sip of cognac, a glass with it is warmed in the hand, inhaling its aroma. Only then do they take a small sip, holding the drink in their mouth and enjoying its taste.
5 unusual cognac glasses
Cognac is an atmospheric drink, and glasses for it should be appropriate. This is where the fantasy of the crockery masters went wild. I present to you my top five most unusual cognac glasses.
In fifth place is a cognac tulip from the company Riedel (Riedel). The company was founded by the same Klaus Riedel, whom I have already mentioned. I can not help but introduce you to the products of the legendary manufacturer.
In fourth place, I decided to place a cognac glass with a bevelled edge.
The honorable third place is occupied by a pot-bellied glass without a leg. The author of this work of art is Ricky Hagen.
In second place is an incredibly stylish glass-diamond.
I thought for a long time which glass to put in the first place, choosing between a variety of glasses on a decorative stem. What only jewelry works I have not met! And yet, the scorpion glass became the leader of my top. Would you be afraid to drink from such a glass?
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
In conclusion, I want to ask readers: what glasses do you drink cognac from? Personally, I have not yet met people who would use a tulip for this. Maybe only in our country, it is snifters that are most common?