Cognac drink of Greek spill 7 letters. Let's have a drink? Greek traditional spirits

Botrys is available in exclusive embossed bottles. The title label is discreet but stylish. Brandy is good both in pure form and in cocktails. It is advisable not to chill the bottle before serving, as the cold will prevent the bouquet from fully opening up.

Everyone has different tastes, and it is impossible to decide by the description and name which cognac you will like more than others. To find the most delicious brandy in Greece for yourself, it is better to go for a tasting or look into a specialty store.

Do not try Greek cognacs on an empty stomach or in a hurry. Sit down at the table, grab a glass, enjoy the aroma and color of the drink, and then taste it. Wait for the first sensation to pass, and then enjoy new shades of unique taste.

Japan is famous for its sake, Mexico for tequila, Russia for vodka, but what about traditional alcohol in Greece? Today I will tell you about the alcoholic drinks that must be tasted in Greece. Walking is like walking).

Ouzo

The most famous Greek liquor is definitely ouzo.

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

Unfortunately, the smell of anise alone makes me sick: whether it's 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, the crystal clear drink becomes 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 "chemise" 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. A small bottle of ouzo costs around € 3. The most popular ouzo brands in Greece are ouzo Mini Μυτιλήνης

Tsipuro and crayfish

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

Tsipuro is served chilled in a small carafe with a narrow high neck called "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 rarely and reluctantly order it. Although, there is an opinion that in the villages of Crete, people of all ages still drink it almost around the clock.

A small bottle of Tsipuro costs around 3-4 euros.

Racomelo

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

Racomelo is popular with young people and women, as honey neutralizes the bitterness of the crayfish and makes the drink sweet.

You will find ready-made rakomelo in any supermarket, but I would not recommend purchasing it. Better 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 the raki into a turk and heat it up a little over low heat. Then add a few tablespoons of honey and mix everything well. When you see that the drink is ready to boil, remove the turk from the heat without bringing the rakomelo to a boil. Rakomelo is ready! Like raki, rakomelo is served in karafaki with small glasses. Since the drink is served hot, it is advisable to wrap a paper napkin around the neck of the decanter. This way you will save your hands from getting burned. Rakomelo is prepared in small quantities in order to have time to drink the drink while it is still warm.

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 winter. There is no word "cognac" on the label, instead there is an inscription "original Greek alcoholic drink". The thing is that after the Second World War, the word "cognac" has the right to use only the producers of alcoholic beverages from the French region of Cognac.

Metax's recipe is still kept in secrecy. 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 Metax cognac with three stars costs about 13 euros.

Mastic

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

As a rule, mastic liqueur is served chilled as an aperitif. Also, mastic is used after eating: "so that the food is better absorbed" - as the Greeks say.

Mastic has a very interesting sweetish taste and fruity-coniferous aroma. Having tasted this liqueur once, you will definitely not confuse it with anything.

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

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

Tentura

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

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

Beer

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

I will not undertake to talk about the quality of Greek beer, since I am not a great connoisseur and connoisseur of this drink, and even light beer from dark one can be distinguished exclusively 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 the competition is high and there are many varieties of beer from famous European manufacturers on the Greek market.

My personal favorites among the Greek spirits are rakomelo and tentura liqueur. Just because they are sweet and delicious and because I'm a girl). I gladly buy ouzo and tsipuro as souvenirs for my friends when I fly home. The specific bottles in which these alcoholic drinks 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 for wine production.

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

Metaxa is the most famous Greek brandy

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

The financial benefit is clear. 7-year-old metaxa in Greece is sold for 16-20 euros per 0.7 liter bottle. In Moscow, you will hardly be able to purchase it for less 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 has taken root in our language.

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

The history of metaxa began with a fish, however paradoxical it may sound. The Greek Spyros Metaxas was born into a family of fishermen, and his parents dreamed that he would continue the family business. But Spyros did not associate 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 came into his field of vision. He tried mixing different drinks, including vermouth, absinthe, wines and liqueurs. As a result of his searches, he received a recipe for a drink that is now called “metaxa”. It is believed that this event took place in 1888.

The drink became popular in Greece and later in other countries. They began to buy it especially actively 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 company for the production of metaxa is still a "family" company, which made it possible to keep the secret of the drink's recipe.

It is precisely known 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 precisely used.

The drink is infused in special barrels, which the company buys in Italy. You can see them in the photo on the right. Depending on the exposure time, the metaxa gets its "stars".

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

Metaxa 5 and 7 stars has excellent taste and this is the option we recommend to buy during your trip to Greece.

Metaxa 12 stars already belongs to the elite sorts of alcohol. Of course, you should try such a drink, but the prices are already “biting”.