Cognac drink of Greek production 7 letters crossword. Alcohol in Greece: drinks, prices, export standards

Japan is famous for its sake, Mexico for tequila, Russia for vodka, but what about traditional spirits in Greece? Today I will tell you about alcoholic beverages that are mandatory for tasting in Greece. Walk - so walk).

Ouzo

The most famous Greek alcoholic drink is, of course, ouzo.

Ouzo is made by distilling ethyl alcohol, anise, and other aromatic herbs and spices (such as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). Depending on the manufacturer, the percentage of alcohol in ouzo ranges from 20 to 40 percent.

Unfortunately, the smell of anise alone makes me sick, be it just anise flowers, alcohol, or any other products that contain this plant.

Therefore, I can only watch with envy, the Greeks "playing chemists" with their ouzo. The fact is that when water and ice are added to ouzo, its color changes before our eyes. In a couple of seconds, a crystal clear drink turns cloudy white. At such moments, I always remember school chemistry lessons: drop something like that into a test tube - and see what happens. The main thing is not to explode.)

Most often, the Greeks “chemize” in the summer, sitting in a tavern on the seashore. As a rule, ouzo is used together with fish snacks: octopus, anchovies, sardines. They drink ouzo from narrow tall glasses.

You can buy ouzo in any Greek supermarket: you will notice a specific bottle with a long thin neck from afar. The cost of a small bottle of ouzo is about 3 euros. The most popular brands of ouzo in Greece are ouzo Mini Μυτιλήνης

Tsipuro and crayfish

Tsipuro and raki are the "heavy artillery" among the Greek national alcoholic drinks. Drinks are very strong (37-47% alcohol), reminiscent of the taste of our moonshine. Tsipuro and crayfish are similar to each other both in taste and in the way they are made. It is believed that the main difference between these two alcoholic beverages is the presence or absence of anise in the composition: anise may be present in tsipuro, but not in raki. Traditionally, raki and tsipuro were produced on the island of Crete, and until the middle of the 20th century, its manufacture was illegal.

Tsipuro is served chilled in a small decanter with a narrow high neck - "karafaki". Then tsipuro is poured into small glasses and drunk in one gulp.

According to my observations, tsipuro is in great demand among the Greeks of the older generation, young people order it rarely and reluctantly. Although, there is an opinion that in the villages on Crete, people of all ages still drink it almost around the clock.

The cost of a small bottle of tsipuro is about 3-4 euros.

Rakomelo

Greek rakomelo consists of two main ingredients: raki and honey. Sometimes cinnamon and cloves are also added to the drink. Rakomelo is most popular among Greeks in winter, as it is served hot. Of course, rakomelo can also be consumed cold, but then it is “something different” and loses much in taste to hot rakomelo. It is believed that rakomelo is very useful for colds.

Rakomelo is popular among young people and women, as honey neutralizes the bitterness of raki and makes the drink sweet.

In any supermarket you will find ready-made rakomelo, but I would not recommend purchasing it. It is better to buy crayfish and good honey and brew the drink yourself: the whole procedure will take you no more than 5-10 minutes, and the difference in taste will be enormous.

To make rakomelo, you will need to pour raki into a cezve and heat it up a little over low heat. Then add a few tablespoons of honey and mix well. When you see that the drink is ready to boil, remove the cezve from the heat without bringing the rakomelo to a boil. Racomelo is ready! Like crayfish, rakomelo is served in "karafaki" with small glasses. Since the drink is served hot, it is recommended to wrap a paper napkin around the neck of the carafe. Thus, you will protect your hands from burns. Rakomelo is prepared in small quantities in order to have time to drink the drink before it cools down.

Metaxa

The first plant of the Greek company Metaxa was built in 1888. Since then, the company has firmly established itself in the world market for the production of alcoholic beverages, Metaxa cognac is known far beyond the borders of Greece. Cognac was supplied to the table of the royal courts of Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Serbia. Oddly enough, today Metaxa cognac is not very popular among the Greeks, it is ordered very rarely and most often in the winter. The word "cognac" on the label is missing, instead it says "original Greek liquor". The thing is that after the Second World War, the word "cognac" has the right to use only alcohol producers from the French region of Cognac.

Metax's recipe is still a closely guarded secret. It is only known for certain that in the production of Metax, three grape varieties and mature wine are used, which are placed in French oak barrels and aged in them for at least three years. Each star on the Metax packaging corresponds to a year of aging.

A small bottle of Metaxa cognac with three stars costs about 13 euros.

Masticha

Greek liqueur with the addition of Chios mastic. Mastic is a resin obtained from an evergreen shrub belonging to the pistachio tree family. In Greece, mastic is very popular: it is widely used in cooking, chewing gum and even cosmetics.

As a rule, masticha liqueur is served chilled as an aperitif. Mastiha is also used after eating: “so that the food is better absorbed” - as the Greeks say.

Masticha has a very interesting sweetish taste and fruity-coniferous aroma. Once you try this liqueur, you will definitely not confuse it with anything.

The production of mastic is carried out in several stages. In the first stage, alcohol is mixed with mastic, placed in bronze containers and heated. It is believed that in this way the mastic will most fully give all its taste to the liquor. At the second stage, sugar, mineral water and alcohol are added to the already infused mixture.

A bottle of liquor in the supermarket will cost you 10 euros.

Tentura

Tentura liqueur is very sweet and quite strong, rich red-burgundy color. The birthplace of the tentura is the Greek city of Patras. Today, almost every winery in Patras produces this liqueur, and the taste of tentura can vary considerably depending on the producer. The basis of the liquor is alcohol, cinnamon and cloves. Depending on the manufacturer, other spices and herbs may be present in the tentura. Most often, the liqueur is served as an aperitif.

You can buy a tentura in specialized stores, called in Greece "Κάβα". The cost of a bottle is 18-30 euros, depending on the brand.

Beer

Three main brands of beer are produced in Greece: Αλφα, Mythos, Fix.

I will not undertake to speak about the quality of Greek beer, since I am not a great connoisseur and connoisseur of this drink, and even light beer from dark beer, I distinguish it solely by color, and not by taste. But judging by what I see how young and old Greeks are equally actively buying local beer, we can conclude that Greek beer is a very worthy product, since competition is high and there are many varieties of beer from famous European producers on the Greek market.

My personal favorites among Greek spirits are rakomelo and tentura liqueur. Simply because they are sweet and tasty and because I am a girl). I am happy to buy ouzo and tsipuro as souvenirs for friends when I fly home. The specific bottles in which these spirits are sold always make a splash, regardless of whether the "gifted" liked the contents or not.)

Greece is one of the first countries where people began to consciously produce alcoholic beverages. Alcohol has always been present in overripe berries and fruits. The ancient Greeks learned how to cultivate grapes to make wine.

Wine and grapes were under the auspices of the god Dionysus. He was often depicted during a copious libation, surrounded by satyrs and nymphs.

Metaxa - the most famous Greek brandy

The most famous Greek alcoholic drink. Metaxa is famous all over the world, but it is produced only in Greece. Its recipe is very complicated and secret, so buying a bottle of the original drink outside of Greece can be risky and expensive.

The financial benefit is obvious. A 7-year-old metaxa in Greece is sold for 16-20 euros for a 0.7 liter bottle. In Moscow, you are unlikely to be able to buy it cheaper than 30 euros.

Metaxa is often called cognac in our country. However, we like to call any brandy cognac. Citizens of the USSR were not very spoiled by imported alcoholic beverages, and such a tradition took root in our language.

Metaxa belongs to the class of brandy, by the way, like cognac itself. Cognacs are simply called varieties of brandy produced in France in the province of Cognac.

The history of metaxa began with a fish, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. The Greek Spyros Metaksas was born into a family of fishermen, and his parents dreamed that he would continue the family business. But Spiros did not connect his future with fish and moved to the city, where he founded a company for the production of spirits.

He experimented a lot with different ingredients. Even cocoa and mastic fell into his field of vision. He tried mixing different drinks, including vermouth, absinthe, wines and liqueurs. As a result of the search, he received the recipe for the drink, which is now called “metaxa”. This event is believed to have taken place in 1888.

The drink became popular in Greece, and later in other countries. Especially actively they began to buy it for import to the United States, where at that time there was another economic boom.

Spyros was assisted by his brothers Elias and George. The Metaxa company is still a “family-owned” company, which made it possible to keep the secret of the drink recipe.

It is known for sure that the drink is a mixture of grape wine from three grape varieties and brandy made from grapes and black currants. Herbs are added to the mixture, which ones are not exactly known, but there is information that rose petals are definitely used.

The drink is infused in special barrels that the company buys in Italy. You can see them in the photo on the right. Depending on the exposure time, metaxa receives its “stars”.

Metaxa 3 stars is considered the lowest quality. Many Greeks say that this drink is only suitable for culinary purposes.

Metaxa 5 and 7 stars tastes great and we recommend this option for buying during a trip to Greece.

Metaxa 12 stars already belongs to the elite varieties of alcohol. Of course, it is worth trying such a drink, but the prices are already “biting”.

Once in the homeland of European winemaking, you should definitely try the famous Greek cognacs and brandies. Connoisseurs of strong spirits will immediately distinguish these brands from the products of other countries by their unique taste and aroma.

Metaxa

Metaxa has a rich history. Alcohol with this name was created by Spyros Metaxas in 1888 and today is perhaps the main one. It is impossible to make it in another area: the exact recipe is more secret than strategic military developments.

Since the end of the 19th century, the Greek cognac "Metaxa" was supplied to many royal courts in Europe: Serbia, Bulgaria and other countries. Before the revolution of 1917, the company was the official supplier of the Russian Imperial Court - in memory of this, a medal from the Russian Tsar is still kept at the Metaxa headquarters.

In Greece, Metaxa is called cognac, although according to the international classification of alcohol it is brandy. Production begins with a mixture of various grape distillates, which, after aging in French oak barrels, are mixed with Muscat wine. The next step is to add the secret botanicals (the only known one is rose petals).

Under the common name "Metaxa" hides a diverse range of drinks, each of which has a special taste and strength and differs in the number of stars. Depending on the aging time of the Greek cognac Metaxa, the price of a bottle can increase tenfold. The main varieties include:

• "Metaxa" 3 * (38%, with notes of raisins and, aging for at least 3 years, price about 13 € per 0.7 l);
• "Metaxa" 5 * (38-40%, flavors of honey, fruits and roses, the price starts from 16 €);
• "Metaxa" 7 * (40%, pleasant vanilla aftertaste with notes of dried fruits and oak, juicy golden color, cost around 20-26 €);
• "Metaxa" 12 * (40%, amber color, rich aroma of oak, vanilla, dried fruits and tobacco, price about 35-40 €);
• Metaxa AEN is an elite brandy aged up to 80 years. On the palate, there are shades of herbs, almonds, spices, nuts. Aroma - dried fruits and wild honey. The drink is truly precious, its price in specialized stores in Greece reaches up to 1500 €.

Atticus

The second most popular after Metaxa is the Greek cognac Atticus, which has won several gold medals at international exhibitions. Experts appreciate it for light berry-fruity and floral notes and a long herbal aftertaste, because of which they even compare alcohol with herbal tinctures. It is recommended to enjoy cognac slowly and after that do not smoke and do not eat products with a sharp taste.

In Greece, the recipe for Atticus is kept secret. For example, it is only known that fermented grapes are taken for the manufacture of distillates. The aging period of Greek cognac is 5 years, the fortress is 38%. Alcohol is sold in glass bottles (0.7 l or 1 l) and packages (2 l).

All inscriptions on the label are made only in Greek. If you see words in other languages, it is possible that you have a fake in front of you. True, to fake Atticus is a thankless task: the taste is too recognizable. And for the price, this cognac in Greece is available to almost everyone without exception - it costs about 4 €.

Pantheon

The Greeks created many original alcoholic drinks. There are Greek cognacs, the names of which are on everyone's lips, but there are also very tasty, but less well-known ones. Among the latter is the "younger brother" of "Metaxa" - "Pantheon". By their composition: wine distillate, water, muscat wine and honey - these drinks are very close.

"Pantheon" has a fortress of 38%. Its holding period is 7 years. Those who try it for the first time will certainly note the softness, hints of fruit and vanilla, and a long aftertaste, more characteristic of. This unusual combination is liked by many lovers of cognacs from Greece.

Pantheon is produced on the island of Lesvos, the main volume of production is exported. The same company with the name Plomari Ouzo Distillery Isidoros Arvanitis produces the famous Greek alcohol - ouzo. The price of brandy is on average 15 € per bottle.

Anessia

The name of the Greek cognac Anessia is little known outside the country. But real connoisseurs know and love this strong alcohol (40%). As a rule, it can certainly be seen among collectors of elite brandy and cognacs.

The name Anessia in Greece is considered synonymous with loyalty to tradition and quality. Cognac is characterized by a pleasant herbal aroma and a mild caramel flavor with hints of peach, apricot and raisins, which is why alcohol is sometimes called "candy" - it is equally popular with both men and women. The aftertaste is filled with light tones of oak and almonds. Cognac is produced in the city of Komotini. The price of a bottle is about 8 €.

Botrys

Some spirits drinkers prefer a Greek brandy called Botrys (40%). The drink has an original taste of oak and spices. For the price of 10 € you can buy a bottle of 0.7 liters. But you should keep in mind: the longer the brandy is aged (it can be 20 or 40 years old), the more expensive the drink will be.