Oh, this alcohol! How much controversy does he provoke? There are absolute opponents of such drinks, there are entire nations that cannot imagine their dinner without a glass of good, high-quality alcohol. For some, consumption in small doses may be beneficial; for others, even a drop poses a threat.
Read on if you are over 21; you can afford to relax with a glass occasionally; your cheerful company loves noisy evenings, but you don’t know how to surprise them and become the most talked about person of the evening. Now we will tell you everything.
General information about cognac
Cognac is a type of brandy and is considered a strong drink. The name comes from the French city of the same name, in which it was first produced. It is made mainly from the white grape variety Trebbiano. It is believed that the usefulness of cognac increases with its age. Due to the fact that this drink dilates blood vessels, it helps to cope with headaches, lower blood pressure, relax and calm down. A relatively safe norm is 30-60 ml. It is usually enjoyed with chocolate, coffee, tonic or lemon. It is not heated or cooled before serving; room temperature is considered optimal.
Important! Contraindicated for use in cases of gallstone disease and diabetes.
There are many varieties of the drink. Hennessy is considered one of the oldest and most elite. The life of the Hennessy house began back in 1765. The founder was Richard Hennessy, a “decommissioned” military man. This house produces both mass-produced types and unique, exclusive ones in limited quantities.
The original recipe of the famous brandy is kept in the strictest confidence, but attempts to unravel it are repeated again and again. Many people try to reproduce it even at home. Some of the resulting variations please with decent taste and sufficient strength. The price of the resulting drink is also attractive.
How to make Hennessy cognac at home
Each of the recipes has a fairly simple composition, and mastering the cooking technology will not be difficult.
Option #1. Cooking Hennessy cognac from moonshine on oak bark.
To prepare you will need:
- dried oak bark (young) – 2 tbsp. l.;
- dry cloves – 8 inflorescences;
- black tea – 1 tbsp. l.;
- sugar – 3 tbsp. l.;
- baking soda – 1 tsp;
- moonshine – 3 l.
To add spicy notes, the recipe can be supplemented with ground nutmeg (on the tip of a knife), cardamom (1 piece).
Let's move on to cooking. Mix all dry ingredients. Pour into moonshine. Shake it up. We cork it. We wrap it tightly with a cloth so as not to allow light to pass through, or we place it in a dark place. After 2 weeks, strain. Pour into a glass jar. Roll up the lid. Then it's a matter of endurance. We insist as long as we have patience.
Option #2. Let's do Hennessy cognac at home on oak chips.
For preparation:
- oak chips (medium roast) – 6 pcs.;
- sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
- black tea (large leaf) – 1 tsp;
- black pepper (peas) – 3 pcs.;
- rosehip – 15 pcs.;
- dried St. John's wort – 0.5 tsp;
- moonshine – 3 l.
If desired, supplement the composition with raisins - 1 tbsp, pitted prunes - 1 pc., dried oregano - 1.5 g, vanilla pod - 2-4 cm.
Cook caramel syrup. Mix the syrup with a small amount of moonshine and mix thoroughly. Pour into the main part of the moonshine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. We cork it. We insist in a dark place. Shake the contents from time to time. Prunes and vanilla must be removed after a week. We continue to insist for up to one month. We filter. Pour into a glass jar. Let's roll up. Leave for at least 3 months in a dark place.
Option #3. Let's do Hennessy from moonshine at home with added coffee.
Ingredients:
- oak bark - 1 tbsp. l.;
- pitted prunes – 5 pcs.;
- ground coffee – 1 tsp;
- moonshine – 2l;
- raisins (white, dark) – 6 pcs.;
- coriander – 5 pcs.;
- cloves – 3 inflorescences;
- sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
- cinnamon - on the tip of a knife;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife.
Making Hennessy cognac from moonshine. Mix all ingredients except sugar in a saucepan. Over medium heat, with the lid on, heat to 75 degrees. Heat sugar in a frying pan until brown caramel. Add to the pan. Turn off the fire. Cool to room temperature. Pour into bottles. In a day the drink will be ready.
Option number 4. A drink with the zest of your favorite citrus.
Components we need:
- moonshine – 2 l.;
- black tea (large leaf) – 2 tsp;
- zest of any citrus – ½ fruit;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- cinnamon – 1 stick;
- sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
- black pepper (peas) – 4 pcs.;
- cloves – 6 inflorescences.
Important!If you choose lemon zest, use no more than ¼ of a medium-sized fruit.
Just as easy to prepare as the others recipes for Hennessy moonshine for home use. Mix everything except sugar in a glass container. Close tightly. Remove for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, strain. Add sugar caramel. Leave for 4 days. Pour into bottles. The alcohol is ready to drink.
Option #5. With nutty notes, the result is an aromatic and very tasty drink.
Components:
- moonshine – 2l.;
- honey - 2 tbsp. l.;
- cloves – 6 inflorescences;
- black pepper (peas) – 2 pcs.;
- pine nuts – 1 tbsp. l.;
- dried lemon balm - a pinch;
- dried St. John's wort - a pinch;
- walnut partitions – 10 pcs.;
- orange zest – 1 tsp;
- black tea – 2 tsp.
Infuse the nuts and partitions in moonshine for 3 days. Add all dry ingredients. We keep it for a month in a dark place. Shake occasionally. We filter. Add honey. We insist for another week.
Option number 6. Ginger cognac has health benefits.
You will need:
- moonshine – 1 l.;
- cloves – 6 inflorescences;
- black tea – 1 tsp, without a slide;
- brown sugar – 80 g;
- allspice (peas) – 5 pcs.;
- ginger root – 80 g.
Pour moonshine over cloves, pepper, and grated ginger. Place on low heat. Add sugar. We warm everything up to 35 degrees. Pour in the tea leaves (1 teaspoon of tea per 3 tablespoons of boiling water), cover with a lid. Place in a cool place overnight. Filtering. Ready.
As you can see, there is nothing super complicated in preparation. Everyone can choose a recipe and composition that suits their taste. You can experiment with combining ingredients and achieve those flavor notes that you like.
Experiment, cook, surprise your guests. Remember, you need to know moderation in everything!
The world-famous Hennessy is one of the elite cognacs and is quite expensive, which not everyone can afford. However, it is quite possible to prepare something similar to such a drink at home.
There are at least three options for preparing it from moonshine, vodka and alcohol, the best recipes of which I want to offer you.
Cooking time: 6 months.
Calories: 295 kcal per 100 g.
Kitchen tools: distillation apparatus; alcoholometer; two five-liter plastic bottles; two-liter glass jar; three-liter glass jar; charcoal; oak barrel; plastic bucket 5-6 l.
Required Ingredients
- To prepare mash, add 1 kg of sugar and 100 g of pressed yeast to 5 liters of water. Let it sit for about 7-10 days so that the yeast has time to settle to the bottom.
- Pour the resulting mash into the distillation apparatus and do the first distillation, obtaining raw alcohol with a strength of 45 degrees.
- Dilute the resulting alcohol with spring or artesian water so that its strength is reduced to 25-30 degrees.
- Cut off the bottom of two five-liter plastic bottles, fill them with charcoal and place them on 2- and 3-liter jars. Filter the resulting alcohol.
- Make a second distillation of the alcohol, separating the “heads” from the “tails”. Heads should be no more than 5% of the total amount of alcohol.
- Dilute the second distillation alcohol with water to a strength of 60 degrees.
- Do another charcoal filtration.
- Pour the resulting moonshine into an oak barrel and leave for at least 6 months.
- Dilute the resulting drink with water to 45 degrees.
- Add flavor and color to your drink with syrup. Dissolve 1 tsp in 100 g of water. sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla sugar, heat until all components are completely dissolved, cool and add to 900 ml of moonshine. Use this proportion to make cognac from the moonshine remaining in the barrel.
Did you know?“Head” is the first fraction of moonshine, which has a sharp and rather unpleasant aroma. As a rule, it contains additional harmful impurities: acetone, methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde and many others. “Body” is the main part of the moonshine, suitable for consumption. “Tail” is the third fraction containing ethyl alcohol and fusel oils. It has a cloudy color and a sharp unpleasant smell and taste.
Video on how to make delicious Hennessy cognac from moonshine at home
In this video you will learn a detailed recipe for making your own homemade equivalent of Hennessy cognac from moonshine.
- Instead of 100 g of pressed yeast, you can use 20 g of dry yeast.
- The water intended for preparing Hennessy skate must be soft and obtained from a spring or artesian well.
- If it is not possible to purchase an oak barrel, then you can infuse Hennessy in a glass jar, after adding oak chips or branches to it.
Recipe for homemade Hennessy cognac with oak bark
Cooking time: 1 month.
Calories: 295 kcal per 100 g.
Kitchen equipment: glass bottle; cork.
Required Ingredients
Video recipe for making Hennessy from vodka with oak bark
You can find a more detailed Hennessy recipe in this short video.
- If you do not have a special bottle for preparing and storing alcoholic drinks, you can use a regular glass jar with a nylon lid.
- Instead of citric acid, you can add the same amount of lemon juice.
- Before adding oak bark, it needs to be heated in a frying pan until brown. This will give your Hennessy a special aroma.
DIY skate recipe a la Hennessy made from alcohol
Cooking time: 1 month.
Calories: 295 kcal per 100 g.
Kitchen tools: oak barrel; wooden spoon.
Required Ingredients
Video recipe for making homemade Hennessy cognac from alcohol
You will find a detailed recipe for making this homemade liqueur a la Hennessy cognac in this video.
- An oak barrel can be replaced with a regular glass jar with a nylon lid.
- If one of the proposed flavoring components is not to your taste, then you can exclude it from the recipe.
- Sugar must be burnt to give the tincture a cognac-like taste and color.
How to serve and with what
Even if we are talking about Hennessy cognac prepared at home, you should follow the generally accepted rules for drinking the original drink:
- It should be served in special glasses for cognac, the so-called cognac glasses, which have a short stable stem, a wide bottom and a narrowed neck.
- The drink should be poured into only a third of the glass (no more than 30-50 ml).
- You need to smell it first to appreciate the aroma. Then sip and savor the taste, and then evaluate the aftertaste. Next, you should drink it slowly, in small sips.
- If you drink Hennessy cognac in its pure form, then you can serve it with a few slices of lemon, pieces of chocolate, strong coffee or a cigar of your choice.
- Cognac prepared independently will differ from the original - French cognac -, but it can be successfully used as a base for all kinds of cocktails.
- Hennessy cognac, as a strong drink, should be served after lunch or dinner as a digestif.
Homemade cognac is quite good for preparing various cocktails and for family meetings, but if you need a good cognac as a gift for a man, then in this case you should pay attention to well-known brands of Armenian cognac or, focusing on the taste of the person to whom the drink will be presented , you can choose an excellent Georgian cognac.
It would be very interesting to know about your unique, possibly original, recipes for making this drink. Write about it in the comments or leave your feedback on the proposed recipes.
Cognac is one of the strongest alcoholic drinks. Expensive types of cognac are always considered elite. This is what French Hennessy is, the production of which is personally checked by the country's authorities. From the article you will learn what Hennessy cognac is, reviews about it and a recipe for making it at home.
Description
A strong alcoholic drink from a French manufacturer. The original drink includes more than 40 types - that's what Hennessy cognac is. Reviews about it come from the most famous sommeliers and master blenders around the world, and producers value their national drink as much as its recipe.
Various types of drink cost from 2 thousand rubles to 32 thousand dollars. The price mainly depends on the number of types of alcohol that are used in production and their aging. VS" always deserves special reviews.
Manufacturer
The plant is located in the province of France in the Charente department. There are not only production facilities there, but also rooms for visiting tourists - both in the factory itself and in the Hennessy cognac house. It contains something like a history museum, where tourists can see different years of the formation and development of production.
The plant provided not only a full cycle of cognac production from the cultivation of raw materials (white grapes of a special variety of Ugni Blanc - berries of high acidity, resistant to disease), but also the independent production of containers for storage, aging and bottling. As many years ago, the raw material for barrels is strong oak - a tree that does not warp over time and does not lose its properties. It is the Hennessy cognac stored for aging in oak containers that receives the most enthusiastic reviews.
The drink is stored in huge barrels for from 2 to 200 years, and it is bottled in designer glass bottles indicating the brand of the plant.
Each bottle has one feature that will help the buyer recognize whether the cognac in front of him is real - three-dimensional letters on the glass under the main label of the bottle.
The name “cognac” was given to the drink by the place (or rather, the provincial town) where active production of this strong alcohol began for the first time in 1765.
But the Hennessy trademark appeared from the name of the man who laid the foundation for the creation of the plant in the French province. Now the plant itself and the surrounding areas are protected by special laws by the state. In particular, it even controls the preparation of cognac. For example, French law strictly prohibits the use of sugar in the fermentation of grape alcohol to produce the finished product. Several other laws relate to the fermentation and distillation of raw alcoholic liquid.
Cooking at home
The original one is stored within the walls of the factory, but we will try to prepare a decent quality “fake” at home. In general terms, the preparation can be described as follows:
- Harvesting white sour grapes is only possible in dry weather.
- Extracting juice from berries without damaging the seeds.
- Juice filtration.
- Fermentation of juice without the use of sugar takes about three weeks.
- Carrying out distillation of the resulting liquid using a special distillation apparatus.
- Aging the drink in a dark room and sealed container (small oak barrels can be used).
As a base for cooking, use only white grapes with a high degree of acidity, which ripen in late autumn.
Another important point is that the berries should not have traces of dirt, eating by pests or any disease of the plant itself. Each of these factors can lead to spoilage of raw materials and fermentation of vinegar instead of high-quality alcohol.
Thus, prepare the raw materials in advance to make Hennessy cognac at home. Reviews about it will be most positive if the alcohol is kept in a dark place for about a year or two.
What products will you need:
- 3 liters of high-quality alcohol or moonshine from white grapes of your own production;
- 1-2 peas;
- 1-2 black peppercorns;
- a pinch of fresh lemon zest;
- 2 dried cloves;
- 2 tsp. black loose leaf tea;
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar (white).
How to cook:
- So, combine allspice and black peppercorns with zest, tea, cloves and sand in a small linen bag. Tie tightly. It is important that the fabric for the bag is a solid beige or white color without dyes or synthetics.
- Place the bag in a jar of moonshine and close tightly with a silicone lid. Place in a dark place and leave there for 3-4 weeks.
- After a while, strain the liquid through a layer of sterile gauze and bottle it. Seal them tightly.
- Place bottles for aging in a cellar or other slightly cool, dark place.
You don’t have to use the specified bag at all, but throw the ingredients for infusion directly into the jar. But then the process of filtering the liquid through the gauze will be a little more difficult. It is also likely that a flaky sediment will appear in the jar during storage. This must be remembered if you want to produce high-quality Hennessy cognac. Reviews will depend on the cooking process.
It is important that when the alcohol is infused with spices, there are no brightly smelling foods nearby - onions, garlic and others. Even if the can of drink is closed, the smell can still penetrate and noticeably spoil your cognac.
Additional Ingredients
You can use other spices to suit your taste as additional ingredients. The result will be a separate copy of cognac, but it will have exactly the taste and aroma qualities that you value.
The recipe for Hennessy cognac is kept strictly secret by the producers. Despite this, there is a simple way to prepare a drink similar to this elite cognac. Since real Hennessy is expensive, you can try making it yourself. In terms of its taste, it is quite close to real cognac of a famous brand, and its preparation requires simple and affordable ingredients. Despite the fact that calling the resulting alcoholic drink “Hennessy” will not be entirely correct, if you treat your friends, you will not disappoint them.
The classic composition of Hennessy cognac includes a mixture of grape spirits. At home, you can take regular medical alcohol, vodka, or moonshine distilled and purified several times.
Mix all the herbs and spices, put them in a bag made of natural fabric and tie them tightly. If you have a tea strainer, you can put the bag in it.
Place a strainer with spices in a jar and fill with diluted alcohol or vodka.
If you don't have a strainer, tie a long string to the bag and lower it into the jar. When the time comes, the thread will help you easily remove the bag. This simple procedure will simplify the preparation of the drink - you will not need to strain it several times.
Close the jar with a nylon lid, put the drink in a cool place and leave for 3 days. Remove the bag of spices and throw away, and leave the resulting tincture in a cool place for another 7-10 days.
If you want to. To make your drink even more reminiscent of real cognac, add oak chips and a little vanilla to it, and leave for another two weeks. Pour the finished drink into a beautiful decanter and you can try it.
How to drink and what to eat Hennessy cognac
Before drinking Hennessy cognac, prepare appropriate snacks. Even though what you have prepared is not real cognac, it can also be served as an aperitif or digestif. Since the drink is very strong, it is best served after the second course, but it will also be good “for the appetite.”
There are no special requirements for snacks, but it is advisable to adhere to a simple rule - they should not be vegetables or vegetable salads. How to snack on Hennessy cognac “according to the rules”: to compensate for the strength of the drink, it is customary to use fatty dishes as a snack. This could be a piece of lightly salted salmon or goat cheese, foie gras, grilled dishes and dry-cured delicacies.
You can enjoy cognac with dark chocolate, desserts with berries and fruits. However, do not forget that the elegant taste of the drink can be spoiled by raw onions or garlic included in sauces or ready-made dishes.
Hennessy is a brand of one of the most popular cognacs in the world. It has been made in France since 1765. You can purchase their products in almost any alcohol supermarket at a price of about 2,000 rubles per 0.5 liter. If you don’t want to overpay such a lot of money for a brand, then you can make homemade hennessy from the ingredients you have on hand. We will consider the recipe and technology further.
Objectively speaking, it is impossible to achieve the taste of the original French cognac. Over 250 years, their process has improved so much that home brewing is nothing compared to their scope. Nevertheless, why not try to reproduce this status drink and try to get closer to the ideal? In any case, you don’t lose anything, and as a result you get homemade cognac with an interesting taste.
All drinks are made using infusion in a glass container for 2–4 weeks. After this period, the liquid is filtered through gauze and “rested” for 2–3 days in a dark place.
We did not use an oak barrel in our recipes, as we consider its use a more professional approach. However, you can always pour the finished cognac into a barrel and age it until it reaches the desired state. Read more about it in our other publication.
Homemade Hennessy poured into an original bottle is considered especially chic. This immediately adds some nice flavor to the drink. 🙂
On oak bark
Oak bark gives off excellent taste and color, and is also sold in any pharmacy. It does not need to be fried or washed before use; you can immediately pour it from the box into the bottle.
The cost of oak bark is about 50 rubles per 75 grams.
- Moonshine 50% - 3 liters.
- Oak bark - 2 tablespoons.
- Cloves - 8 buds.
- Black tea - 1 tablespoon.
- Sugar - 3 tablespoons.
You can always add less or more sugar. Sweet alcohol is easier and more enjoyable to drink compared to regular vodka (according to some moonshiners).
Therefore, do not be afraid to experiment with the proportions of sugar, add to taste.
On oak chips
It is somewhat more difficult to work with wood chips, since you need to boil it several times in advance and drain the dirty water. If this is not done, then tinny notes will appear in the taste, which can ruin the entire drink. Therefore, prepare the wood chips in advance as shown in this publication -.
Mandatory cooking of oak chips.
- Moonshine 50% - 3 liters.
- Oak chips - 6 bars.
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons.
- Black tea - 1 teaspoon.
- Black pepper (peas) - 3 pieces.
- Rose hips - 15 pieces.
- St. John's wort - 0.5 teaspoon.
Rose hips will add a wonderful flavor. It is quite tart, so it will harmonize well with sugar in the drink.
With prunes
Quite a large list of ingredients for 2 liters of moonshine, but each of them contributes to the overall taste. We recommend not to overdo it with spices, because they greatly affect the taste even in minimal quantities.
The classic serving of cognac comes with a slice of lemon.
- Moonshine 50% - 2 liters.
- Oak bark - 1 tablespoon.
- Pitted prunes - 5 pieces.
- Ground coffee - 1 teaspoon.
- Raisins - 10 pieces.
- Black tea - 2 teaspoons.
- Coriander - 5 pieces.
- Cloves - 3 buds.
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon.
- Cinnamon - on the tip of the knife.
- Vanillin is on the tip of the knife.
Don't forget to filter the cognac at the end of infusion. Drinking liquid with coffee particles on your teeth is a so-so experience. 🙂
With citrus zest and burnt sugar
You can read about making burnt sugar. The resulting caramel will need to be dissolved in the drink, coloring it a noble brown color. Citrus will add a little freshness to the drink, so it will be easy to drink.
Preparing burnt sugar.
- Moonshine 50% - 2 liters.
- Black tea - 2 teaspoons.
- The zest of any citrus is half the fruit.
- Vanillin is on the tip of the knife.
- Bay leaf - 1 piece.
- Cinnamon - 1 stick.
- Burnt sugar - 1 tablespoon.
- Black pepper (peas) - 4 pieces.
- Cloves - 6 buds.
The easiest way is to use a small orange. It's not as harsh and easy to clean.
On pine nuts
In Hennessy's original recipe, it is unlikely that walnuts are included, since this is more of a Siberian ingredient, rather than a French one. Nevertheless, there is a similar recipe and we are telling you about it. Walnuts color liquid well, but you need to try very hard not to overexpose the tincture, otherwise the concentration of substances from the nut shells will be prohibitive (it will be difficult to drink the drink).
It is best to use whole pine nuts. Shells and kernels are also used, but they are less preferred in this matter.
- Moonshine 50% - 2 liters.
- Honey - 2 tablespoons.
- Cloves - 6 buds.
- Black pepper (peas) - 2 pieces.
- Pine nuts - 1 tablespoon.
- Dried lemon balm - a pinch.
- St. John's wort - a pinch.
- Walnut partitions - 10 pieces.
- Orange zest - 1 teaspoon.
- Black tea - 2 teaspoons.
Tea already colors moonshine well, so you can add even a little less pine nuts. The main thing is that their volume does not exceed one tablespoon without a slide.
With ginger
An exotic ingredient for cognac that will add some piquancy and benefits to cognac. Many moonshiners needlessly underestimate the root of this plant, since it gives the alcoholic liquid a very interesting flavor that is appreciated by men and women during a feast.
Ginger is considered beneficial for both men and women.
- Moonshine 50% - 1 liter.
- Cloves - 6 buds.
- Black tea - 1 teaspoon.
- Burnt sugar - 1 teaspoon.
- Allspice (peas) - 5 pieces.
- Ginger root - 80 grams.
If tea cannot adequately color the drink, then melt a teaspoon of sugar over the fire and stir it in the cognac, achieving the desired color.
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