Another simple recipe that imitates organoleptic properties original. To make cognac from vodka at home, you need oak bark, hawthorn and rose hips, as well as several other readily available ingredients. It will work out soft drink dark yellow color with a red tint, floral cognac aroma and notes of oak.
Attention! Real cognacs and brandies are produced by infusing double-distilled grape distillate in oak barrels minimum three years. The recipe proposed in the article is just an attempt to recreate the color, taste and smell of cognac in a simpler, faster and more accessible method.
For cooking cognac tincture use only pure vodka without additives (egg peel, birch buds, cranberries, lemon, etc.), since third-party impurities can give an unpredictable aftertaste. You can also replace vodka with ethyl or medical alcohol diluted to 40% or double distilled moonshine.
Ingredients:
- vodka – 1 liter;
- oak bark – 2 teaspoons;
- rose hips (dry) – 8 grams (10 pieces);
- hawthorn berries (dry) – 10 grams (40 pieces);
- sugar (honey) – 1 tablespoon;
- cloves - 4 pieces (no caps, only stems);
- black tea – 1 teaspoon;
- nutmeg – 1 pinch.
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife (optional).
Bark and berries can be bought at the pharmacy. Adding honey softens the tincture, but appears in the drink. light honey shade. The main thing is not to overdo it with vanilla, so that there are only weak notes.
Vodka cognac recipe
1. Brew oak bark in boiling water (the layer of water is 2-3 cm higher) and leave for 10 minutes. Drain the broth, rinse the bark in cold running water, then dry in the sun. Treatment with boiling water removes excess tannins, so there will be no baseboard taste characteristic of many “oak” liqueurs.
2. Place berries, cloves, nutmeg, tea and oak bark in a jar for infusion.
3. Pour in vodka. Add sugar (honey) and vanillin. Stir and cover tightly.
4. Infuse for 25-30 days in a dark place at room temperature. Shake once every 5 days.
5. Filter the finished vodka cognac through several layers of gauze and cotton wool.
6. Pour into bottles for storage and seal tightly.
7. Before tasting, leave the drink for 1-2 days in a cool, dark place.
Shelf life – up to 5 years. Strength 37-38%.
At the same time, homemade cognac from vodka/alcohol and even moonshine is almost as good as the original in taste. It turns out no less aromatic and very pleasant to the taste, although it is made from simple and affordable ingredients.
Homemade cognac made from vodka is much cheaper than store-bought counterparts. At the same time, you can always be sure of the quality of a product made by yourself.
« Cognac (French cognac) is a strong alcoholic drink produced from certain grape varieties using a special technology.”. And that says almost everything.
The main thing has been said - cognac is not a simple moonshine, such as whiskey or rum, cognac is a moonshine made from grape wine! Accordingly, produce real cognac at home - it’s a very, very difficult matter.
And there is no particular point in producing cognac at home - there are quite decent tasting varieties on sale, at a price not much higher than the cost of good vodka.
It should be noted that in Russia and the Soviet Union almost all brandy is called “cognac”, although it is well known that the cognac drink got its name from the city of Cognac (French Cognac), which is in France, and that the geographical boundaries of the area in which The production of cognac is allowed, the production technology and the name “Cognac” itself are strictly defined, regulated and enshrined in numerous legislative acts.
Moreover, it is international - “Cognac” is a native French product.
“Drinks from other countries, as well as drinks produced in France outside the Charente region, even if obtained by distillation grape wines, produced in the Poitou-Charente region, do not have the right to be called cognac on the international market; such drinks are usually called brandy"
But their decrees are not a decree for us, and in our country cognac is any brandy produced using a technology close to the production technology of real cognac.
According to GOST R 51618-2009 " Russian cognac. General technical conditions", called cognac a wine product with a volume fraction of ethyl alcohol of at least 40.0%, made from cognac distillates obtained by fractionated distillation of table wine material made from grapes of the Vitis vinifera species, and aged in contact with oak wood for at least three years.
Clearly, definitely.
But if the drink is not produced in accordance with GOST, without aging and not from cognac spirits, etc., then such a substance is now called brandy!
It's clear?! This brandy stuck with me - it's in industrial scale are being driven.
I had to learn a little about this issue - in the production of skate in general and in its taste in particular.
It quickly became clear that cognac, as such, does not have a “cognac” taste, but always tastes like something else.
Like “Isabella” wine, for example, it has a pure strawberry flavor (real wine, in fact), and if it doesn’t exist or the taste is very weak, then you have either a blend (mixture) or a fake.
So are cognacs (read: brandy), depending on the area, country, etc. They have completely different tastes and smell of anything - from bedbugs to flowers. The same “Napoleon”, perhaps the most famous “French” cognac among wide layers of the Russian public, smells disgusting. (By the way, Napoleon, like Extra or Grand Reserve, is not a name (brand) of cognac at all, but simply a brand in the cognac classification).
This state of affairs is due to the fact that in addition to the differences in cognac spirits caused by natural differences in the raw materials and during the distillation process, the taste and aroma of the drink also changes during the first years of aging - tannins, lignin, reducing sugars, and, to a lesser extent, amino acids, lipids, volatile acids and oils, resins, and enzymes are extracted from wood. Cognac alcohol acquires a golden color and is filled woody vanilla aromas(!).
And then, over time, the cognac becomes darker in color, softer and more rounded. Its aroma and taste appear in many shades, including notes of flowers, fruits and spices
. (!!!)
Well, that's all... - you can make cognac from vodka. Moreover, even if it is less than 40%, it is fully in accordance with French laws - the strength of cognac when sold in France and abroad should not exceed 40%.
It's decided - let's do it homemade cognac.
If it doesn't work, we'll call it brandy.
Naturally, the “inventor” homemade cognac, I didn't. I remember that back in the days of socialism, even in expensive restaurants, waiters “earned extra money” by slipping sweetened vodka (or moonshine) tinted to tipsy visitors. regular tea. So what's the recipe? fake cognac for more than a dozen years, maybe more.
A priori, it is completely clear what should include:
- Oak bark - for 3 years of aging, at least :).
- Tea or coffee - for color, lignin, tannin and lipids.
- Buttercup flowers - for “fruity-floral” notes,
- and of course vanillin - for a woody vanilla aroma.
All that remains is to find a suitable recipe and you will be able to drive “Napoleon” in buckets :o)
Rummaging through old magazines and cookbooks Having looked at what “moonshiners” recommend on the Internet (the main producers of home-made cognac are moonshiners. This is understandable - for them, “refining” moonshine is a production necessity), I selected a couple of acceptable recipes.
However, almost all of their recommendations boil down to one technology - put all the ingredients in an alcohol-containing liquid and put it in a dark place for 3-5 weeks. An indicator that a homemade alcoholic drink can be considered ready is its color.
It won't work. How long to wait to get spoiled vodka? Oh, what's the point?
But, in one place I found a recipe for quickly “cooking” cognac. In my opinion, suitable recipe- without " exotic plants"and "overseas spices" (there are no such "notes" and aromas in ordinary cognac), and throwing out purely "moonshine" ingredients intended for incidental cleaning and softening of the product (such as potassium permanganate - we have all this already included in our vodka), Having prayed, let's begin.
Before making cognac from vodka, be sure to make sure that everything necessary ingredients good quality. Vodka should only be purchased in a specialized store; oak bark can be purchased at a pharmacy or a special section in the market.
Homemade cognac recipe:
- vodka - 3 liters;
- 1 teaspoon of oak bark;
- 1 teaspoon of dry tea leaves;
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee;
- 1 teaspoon of sugar;
- 1/2 teaspoon of soda;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife! The main thing here is not to overdo it - literally a few crystals!
- 3 pcs. black peppercorns;
- 2 pcs. bay leaves;
- 2 pcs. carnations;
- 5 pieces. raisins;
- 1 PC. prunes;
- 0.5 g nutmeg;
- 4 coriander seeds (crush with a knife)
It's not all that simple in composition. Although, you can throw out nutmeg and coriander with a clear conscience - their presence in the drink is absolutely not felt, and in fact - unnecessary. The main composition ends somewhere in black pepper.
Soda, if anyone doesn’t know, is used to “extract” the color from the tea leaves - also, by the way, a recipe from long-distance trains during the times of socialism - with the help of soda, the conductors from one portion of tea leaves received 3-4 full-fledged “brews” of tea for the entire carriage - black and okay!
Making cognac at home
Here is an approximate composition of ingredients for making cognac at home. Main in the background original product- 3 liter jar of homemade vodka :o).
Sequentially pour all the ingredients into a large stainless steel pan. I recommend using some for this purpose. glass pan, so as not to miss the moment of boiling of the liquid, but I don’t have one, unfortunately - we’ll make do with a glass lid.
Pour vodka into a saucepan and place on low heat. Cover with a glass lid and wait until it boils.
Subtle moment! It is very difficult to measure, indicate and measure the amount of vanillin at home. We take approximately this amount onto the tip of a knife. It’s better not to report, in my opinion, so that there is no clearly defined aftertaste...
To avoid losing the “degrees”, fill the hole in the lid (if there is one) with bread crumb.
When the liquid approaches the boiling point, turn off the stove and leave the cognac to cool.
YOU CAN ' T BOIL this “divine” drink!!!
Actually, this is the most difficult and crucial moment in the entire recipe for making homemade cognac.
That’s why you simply don’t have time to immortalize this moment without a photo!
It’s not scary - if you “cook” it, you will immediately understand when it “starts”. It’s okay, even if you turn off the heating a little earlier - 90 degrees C, apparently, the drink is already enough to “get enough.”
We filter the cooled composition through a “hygienic” towel and pour it into containers and bottles.
Homemade brandy is ready! It’s homemade cognac, although it’s not from France, and we can’t export it either :o).
The taste turned out to be quite tolerable - not Armenian cognac, of course, but not Dagestan, to be honest. In terms of color, in general - an absolutely accurate hit.
Smells nice, soft aromatic drink with notes of grape and vanilla. If you compare it with real expensive French cognacs and brandies, then, to be honest, I liked my cognac more - well, I’m not an expert, actually.
Popular recipes for making homemade cognac
Manufacturing process homemade alcohol no less fascinating than kitchen witchcraft. There is something of ancient alchemical magic in it. When should you use chemicals, if not before the holidays? It's time to invent your own recipe for the “elixir of life.”
Homemade cognac from available ingredients (vodka or alcohol)
As already mentioned, cognac is one of the most difficult alcoholic drinks to prepare. Stick to classical technology very difficult. This requires certain varieties of grapes and special stills (alambics).
But there is a way out, next I will tell you how to make cognac at home from available ingredients. This drink tastes like the original one.
Ingredients:
- vodka (45% alcohol) - 1 liter;
- oak bark - 4 teaspoons;
- ground nutmeg - 0.3 teaspoons;
- cloves - 5 buds;
- vanilla sugar- 0.3 teaspoons;
- regular sugar- 2 tablespoons;
- black leaf tea - 3 teaspoons.
I advise you to take it good vodka or breed a quality one ethanol up to 40-45 degrees. In many ways, the taste of a cognac drink depends on the alcoholic base.
You can buy oak bark at a pharmacy or prepare it yourself. In the second case, it is enough to cut off the young bark from oak branches in June and dry it. Its bark is much more aromatic than pharmacy analogues.
Technology for making cognac at home
1. Preparing burnt sugar. This stage is necessary for the caramel shade to be felt in the drink.
In addition, it is thanks to burnt sugar that the color of our drink will resemble real cognac.
IN aluminum cookware with thick walls, pour in sugar and place on low heat. During the melting process, the sugar must be constantly stirred, otherwise it will burn. When caramel forms, remove the pan from the heat.
2. Mixing ingredients. A clean wooden barrel is best suited for infusion, but most of us don’t have one, so we’ll make do with an ordinary three-liter glass jar.
Add all ingredients to a bottle or jar, the order does not matter. Personally, I pour in the vodka first, then add burnt sugar, tea, oak bark, cloves, nutmeg and vanillin.
If you don't like the smell of any of these ingredients, feel free to omit them from the recipe.
3. Infusion. Mix the resulting cognac mixture well with a spatula or wooden spoon, close the lid and place in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks (many recipes indicate at least 30 days). Long-term infusion improves the taste.
4. Filtration. This is the final stage of making cognac at home. All we have to do is open the container and strain the drink through a double layer of gauze and cotton wool to remove sediment.
The advantage of this alcohol cognac recipe is that cheap and available ingredients, which are in every store. The process itself takes a little time, which is also very important. The only drawback is long time endurance, but you can’t do without it.
It is clear that cognac made from alcohol only vaguely resembles the original one, since we did not adhere to traditional technology, but used improvised means.
Ginger cognac
Cognac according to this recipe turns out to have a very original taste. Ginger cognac is found in Brazil, and apples are also used to make it there, among other things.
For our drink you will need:
- 50 grams of ginger root
- 200 grams of sugar
- vanillin - one sachet (five grams)
- walnuts - five - six pieces
- diluted alcohol or vodka - 0.5 liter bottle
Grate the ginger root on a grater (preferably the largest one), chop the walnuts. Place both in a jar and add sugar and vanillin, fill with alcohol.
Close the container tightly and shake well to mix all the contents. Leave to infuse in a dark place for two to three weeks, but shake daily.
Before drinking, ginger cognac must be filtered.
Cognac from moonshine at home
Real cognac is made from grape alcohol, but this has never stopped craftsmen-moonshiners. They know how to make cognac from moonshine at minimal cost. We will look at four of the best recipes that have received popular recognition.
1. Classic
Ingredients:
- moonshine - 3 liters;
- potassium permanganate - several crystals;
- partitions walnuts- 1 handful;
- black tea - 1 tablespoon;
- cloves - 6-7 buds;
- cumin - 1 tablespoon;
- vanilla sugar - 1 tablespoon;
- lemon acid- 2-3 grams.
Preparation:
1. In three liter jar moonshine add potassium permanganate. This is done so that fusel oils precipitate. If instead of moonshine you took vodka, then potassium permanganate is not needed.
Moonshine for cognac can be purified using other methods or made double distillation. The main thing is to get quality alcohol base.
2. Add a handful of well-dried inner walnuts, black tea and clove buds to the jar.
3. Add cumin and vanilla sugar.
4. Citric acid is added last to the jar at the tip of the knife.
5. Close the jar tightly with a nylon lid and infuse the cognac drink for 3-4 days at room temperature.
There is no point in aging homemade cognac for longer than 7 days, as this does not improve its taste.
6. At the last stage, the resulting cognac must be filtered through a clean cotton cloth or cotton gauze filter.
2. With bay leaf
Exists alternative recipe homemade cognac from moonshine (on video), the technology for its preparation is no different from the first method, but other ingredients are used. Imitation of color and taste is achieved by adding oak bark to the distillate, bay leaf and cloves.
There are more quick way making cognac from moonshine.
3. Express - recipe for cognac from moonshine
- In a saucepan with enameled coating or from stainless steel you need to pour a liter bottle of a drink with an alcohol content of at least 50%
- The saucepan is placed on the fire and the following ingredients are added to it: 1 pea of black allspice, 1 small bay leaf, 0.5 teaspoon of black loose leaf tea, soda on the tip of a knife, about two tablespoons granulated sugar, a pinch of vanillin
- Cover the saucepan and bring the contents to a temperature of 75-77 ºС, then remove the saucepan from the heat and leave for five minutes covered with a lid.
- Pour the drink into a jar, close it and wait for it to cool completely. We filter the resulting “cognac”, bring its strength to 40 degrees and bottle it
After about five days, express - the resulting drink is quite ready to drink. To make this cognac even better, you can add 1/3 teaspoon to the ingredients added to it. good coffee and 1-2 crystals of potassium permanganate (eliminates the presence fusel oils). Moonshine prepared on grape juice, in which oak bark was infused for at least a month. But you can speed up the process and complete it in just three days.
4. Cognac recipe for oak bark
To make this “cognac”, you should take three liters of moonshine per glass
- 3 tablespoons sugar,
- 2 tables each. spoons of oak bark, loose leaf black tea without flavorings and St. John's wort herb, as well as chopped rose hips.
- Add black peppercorns (5-6 pieces) here.
- 1/3 teaspoon each of cinnamon and vanilla.
The jar must be closed and placed in a place away from sun and light. After three days, filter the drink well and bottle it.
In addition to the above, it is worth trying other recipes for making homemade cognac from moonshine.
Cognac with milk
We take three liters of moonshine, pour it into glassware larger size and add 200 grams of milk to the alcohol, which will instantly curdle. There is no need to be scared, we just don’t pay attention to it for now.
At the same time, dilute 50 grams of instant coffee with lukewarm water. Pour the coffee drink into the general mixture.
It's time for spices:
- 1 piece of ground nutmeg (nut),
- 4-6 cloves
- and the same number of peppercorns (you can use black or allspice),
- vanillin on the tip of a coffee spoon
- 100 grams of sugar.
Stir the resulting suspension thoroughly and leave for about 20 days, shaking the future cognac periodically in the first days.
After three weeks, we filter the “cognac” and bottle it.
Cognac "Sibirsky"
For a three-liter jar of moonshine, take 200 grams of milk, pour it in, and filter to remove any sediment that has fallen.
Then an infusion of oak bark is poured into it (pour boiling water over 2 teaspoons of bark, cool, strain).
Moonshine is added as “additives” pine nuts or their shells (need 0.5 cups).
We keep the “cognac” for a month, filter it and pour it into containers for storage.
Unlike collection cognacs from famous manufacturers homemade drink will have a slightly different taste and aroma. However, there is also an advantage in home version. You can independently compose an aromatic bouquet from your favorite herbs and spices, which will make your homemade cognac truly exclusive.
Advice. Before making cognac from vodka, prepare several glasses, vodka and your favorite spices. You can create a unique bouquet of this drink yourself. Pour pure vodka into small glasses and add various mixtures to it - cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, rose hips. Let the drinks sit for 1-2 days and try. Use the aroma that suits your taste best to prepare home-made nonsense and it will be no worse than the real thing. French cognac.
Homemade cognac is a wonderful alcoholic drink that is ideal for family gatherings and for treating guests for festive table.
Based on materials
Even with a wide variety of alcohol choices, some types alcoholic products sometimes they are unaffordable for most citizens. This is especially true for cognac. But this does not mean that it is now worth switching to surrogate and extremely hazardous drinks with alcohol content. But you shouldn’t buy cheap cognac products either. What to do?
Fans of this exquisite aromatic alcohol have long found a way out of this situation - they prepare the cognac drink on their own. And this is only at first glance; it seems that making cognac from vodka is very difficult and abstruse. In fact, anyone can cope with the task, you just need to know some features and adhere to the given recipe.
At home you can prepare cognac that is not inferior to elite
But why shouldn’t you buy cheap cognac? The fact is that the inexpensive drink is too far from that refined and noble amber alcohol, an object of adoration and admiration. Cheap cognac is an ordinary flavored alcohol that can put a person in a hospital bed or in best case scenario provoke a severe hangover.
Homemade cognac from vodka, made according to all the rules, becomes an excellent analogue of the real thing, with the same recognizable aroma and pleasant color.
But cheap ready-made cognac products sometimes have such a sharp and unpleasant smell that it cannot be drowned out by any other drink. Homemade alcohol is much safer and will be much cheaper in terms of finances and well-being. And some recipes will even help bring homemade cognac as close as possible to elite cognac (in taste and quality).
Cooking features
The process of creating true cognac is quite difficult and has a lot of features that are impossible to do on your own. But you can prepare a cognac product at home using classic vodka, of course, good quality.
Homemade vodka-based cognac has wonderful aroma, rich color, shiny and original taste. Even despite significant differences in the recipe. At its core, this alcohol will be a tincture, pleasant and aromatic.
Real cognac is made from a specific grape variety.
Before figuring out how to make cognac from vodka at home and choosing from a wide range of recipes, it’s worth learning some of the nuances of this art. To optimally bring the perception closer to the original, you should follow these important tips:
- The main component should be oak bark. It is removed from young branches. Oak bark contains about 20% of tannic compounds necessary to give the alcohol the required astringency.
- Exquisite smell and taste homemade product will give vanillin. It should be added in small doses.
- Sugar is needed for the final coda. But, if you want to add flavor notes to your homemade cognac (fruit, berry, caramel, coffee, nuts), you can use some seasonings or spices.
How to properly prepare oak bark
To prepare the raw material, fresh bark must be dried in the dark, then thoroughly crushed. Then the raw materials are filled with alcohol (at the rate of a liter of vodka per 50 g of raw materials). The mixture must be infused for about 3 weeks. Then it is filtered and diluted to the required strength.
If it is impossible to prepare oak bark, you can use ready-made bark. It is sold at any pharmacy.
So, to make your own cognac, you should not just use only natural and quality ingredients, but also follow all the suggested recipes exactly. All that remains is to choose the most suitable way manufacturing.
Oak bark gives homemade cognac the desired aroma and tartness
Homemade cognac made from vodka with prunes
Dried fruits are extremely healthy foods. The most famous of them is prunes. By the way, real dried fruits from of this product prepared from a hybrid of cherry plum and sloe. Thanks to the extraordinary combination of two fruits, prunes have a special taste and pleasant aroma.
The use of prunes softens the strength of homemade cognac and gives it an unusual aroma.
Recipe with tea leaves
This cooking method will appeal to anyone, even yourself. gourmet, a connoisseur of unusual cognac taste. This recipe with prunes is easy to follow. You can make homemade alcohol in 5-7 minutes, and you can taste it after a day.
We will need:
- granulated sugar: 6-7 g;
- dry prunes: 20 g;
- good vodka: 500 ml;
- strong tea brew: 120 g;
- vanilla, cinnamon: on the tip of a knife.
Pour the alcohol into a large container and stir in all the other ingredients. The last thing to add to the products is tea leaves. The container is closed and shaken thoroughly. Then it must be placed in a dark place for 3-4 days. But, if desired, the first sample of cognac can be taken after a day. Don't forget to filter ready drink before tasting.
Seasoning recipe
Cognac using this method is distinguished by increased taste qualities. An amazingly rich aroma is achieved through the use of spices in the recipe. But this drink takes quite a long time to prepare. Therefore, you should arm yourself with patience for 20-25 days. It is at this time that homemade brandy will mature.
Prunes are included in a number of homemade cognac recipes
We will need:
- vanillin: pinch;
- carnation: 1 inflorescence;
- prunes: 3-4 pieces;
- good vodka: 500 ml;
- allspice: 3-4 peas.
The tincture made in this way is especially distinguished mild taste. Before mixing with alcohol, all spices must be thoroughly mashed (this will give the final product bright aroma). The components should be placed in a large bowl and filled with alcohol. Then leave the mass in a cool place (hiding it from light). After 12 days, strain.
During this time, the cognac is saturated with ingredients and acquires a taste. It needs the next time to mature. To do this, the jar of raw materials is left for another 12 days in the dark. At the end of the period, you need to let the cognac sit for a day at room temperature, and then treat your guests.
Recipe with sugar
This is the most quick recipe homemade cognac from vodka, you can taste the aromatic alcohol just a day after production. And the cooking process itself takes about 25 minutes. This cognac has a particularly mild taste and pleasant aroma.
We will need:
- prunes: 35-40 g;
- granulated sugar: 15-20 g;
- good vodka: liter;
- cloves, cinnamon, vanillin: a pinch;
- tea leaves: 2 disposable bags.
All components are placed in a container and filled with vodka. Lastly, tea leaves are added to them. The jar must be sealed and shaken well. The finished brandy must be filtered before serving to guests. You can try it after a day.
One of the recipes for homemade cognac
Recipe for cognac made from vodka at home using oak bark
It is with the use of oak bark (we have already described how to prepare it above) that brandy acquires its natural astringency and original, incomparable taste. This alcohol (on oak bark) can also be made in many ways, choose the most suitable one and delight your guests.
Recipe with walnuts
This drink will be appreciated by nut lovers. After all this recipe involves the use walnut, and in the end, gives the tincture a tartness and at the same time a delicate nutty aftertaste.
We will need:
- cumin: 12 g;
- sugar: 40 g;
- vodka: 2.5-3 l;
- cloves: 4 inflorescences;
- black tea (infusion): 7 g;
- vanilla, citric acid: 5 g each;
- crushed oak bark: 1 tbsp. l.;
- crushed walnut partitions: 10-12 g.
Place all the ingredients in a large container and fill with vodka. Then the jar must be tightly sealed and left to settle for 7-10 days in the dark. The finished tincture is filtered and bottled into suitable bottles. To give the cognac a more pronounced nutty aroma, for the first 4-5 days you should pour vodka over only one partition of the nuts and let it sit. The remaining components are added later and the drink is left for another 10-12 days.
Recipe with St. John's wort
This cognac is made from rowan fruits. These berries are very pleasant taste with sourness. And when roasted, they acquire a subtle scent of vanilla. Cognac made using this method will have an amazing taste and unique aroma..
We will need:
- vodka: 3 l;
- rowan: 20 berries;
- St. John's wort: 2 leaves;
- brewing black tea: 7 g;
- black pepper (5-6 peas);
- crushed oak bark: 60 g.
All ingredients are mixed, close the container tightly and place in the dark. Cognac should be aged for 30-40 days. Then the tincture is filtered 3-4 times. The resulting drink can successfully compete with store-bought ones. It should be taken into account that all components of this drink exclusively natural. And they are the ones who make homemade brandy aromatic and tasty.
An old recipe
This method is one of the most proven. To create such brandy, oak bark should be crushed to a fraction size of 1.5-2 mm. It is placed in a container and then filled with good alcohol.
Homemade cognac has sweet notes of vanilla and original tartness.
Granulated sugar is added at the rate of a tablespoon for each liter of vodka. The drink is left to infuse for 90-100 days. It should be stored in the dark. Finished product will have subtle aroma and aftertaste. In terms of perception, such a tincture is no different from expensive and elite alcohol.
Original ways
If you want to amaze your guests with an amazing and unique homemade brandy, you can use some unusual techniques. The result will be a strong and pleasant-tasting homemade cognac of excellent quality. Choose what to amaze your guests with.
Recipe with coffee
This cognac will have a rich dark color and a delicate, subtle coffee flavor. This taste has a particularly refined bouquet and will appeal to any lover of elite cognac.
We will need:
- cinnamon: 5 g;
- vodka: 2.5-3 l;
- ground coffee: 50 g;
- granulated sugar: 60 g;
- carnation: 10-12 inflorescences.
All components are mixed and filled with alcohol (100 ml). Shake the mixture well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Only then is the rest of the alcohol added. The container must be covered and sent to a dark place for 2-2.5 weeks. The finished brandy is filtered.
Recipe with rose hips
Given homemade brandy will have a particularly unique perception. The unique taste of the tincture comes from rose hips, which have a sweetish-luscious taste and a subtle vanilla aroma. This brandy will become a real decoration for a festive pillar.
We will need:
- granulated sugar: 15 g;
- oak bark: 60 g;
- good vodka: 2.5 l;
- mint leaves: 3 pieces;
- black pepper: 7 peas;
- rose hips: 25 pieces;
- brewing strong black tea: 15 g.
First you need to make burnt sugar, then combine it with other ingredients. For cooking it is better to take a large one enamel dishes . All components are mixed, the container is tightly closed and sent to rest.
The cognac is infused for 30-40 days in the dark. After this time, the finished drink is filtered, and the brandy itself is infused for another 7-10 days. The finished product is filtered and bottled.
Let's summarize
As you can see, making real cognac yourself requires a minimum of time. The ingredients used in the recipes are available and inexpensive. The only difference from a natural cognac product will be the absence of grapes in it (after all classic cognac prepared from a specific grape variety).
But even this nuance can hardly be called a disadvantage. The resulting aromatic alcohol can outshine with its exquisite, unique aroma even the most elite purchased cognac. Homemade cognac can truly amaze even the most demanding alcohol connoisseur, of course, provided that the chosen recipe is impeccably followed.
French cognac- view strong alcohol, the basis of production of which is grapes. Unique tart taste and the richly nuanced aroma of the drink put it at the top of the list of favorite types of alcoholic beverages.
And what is the effect of a magic glass! Taking a small dose noble drink instantly warms up, he has blood pressure normalizes and calms down nervous system . But not everyone can afford it original cognac, but fakes will be of no use.
How to prepare “nectar” with your own hands in order to become the happy owner of a treasured bottle without causing damage to the family budget? We offer a recipe for cognac made with oak bark at home. Surprised? Try the recipes below and you will see that cognac on oak bark it turns out no worse than its French grape “brother”.
Before we start preparing cognac using oak chips, we will carry out the stage of preparing our improvised barrel, or rather, the element that replaces it - small blocks of oak bark. This magnificent tree grows everywhere in our area, unlike tender grapes, requiring abundant sunlight and prolonged heat.
Properly processed wood chips are also called " chips" Cognac made with oak chips is no less pleasant in taste than the aperitif of the same name made with grape berries.
The first step will be a trip to the hardware store. There you can buy pegs measuring 10 by 2 and 2 cm.
We take 100 g of chips - usually you need less of them, but let there be a reserve if you don’t manage to “fry” them correctly the first time.
Fill the oak blocks with water and leave for a day. We change the water every 6 hours. This is necessary so that some of the tannins come out, otherwise the homemade one will turn out bitter.
Next, drain the water and prepare a soda solution (6 liters of water per teaspoon of soda). Soak for another hour. We rinse the chips, lay them out so that they get Sun rays (or scatter near a heat source) and dry.
Next stage - oven heat treatment. By setting the temperature to 200º and periodically removing the “product”, we control its color. Cognac made with oak chips will have a slight vanilla flavor if the hue is left light brown and the chips are no longer toasted. Other options:
- brown color - the final drink will have almond notes;
- dark color - the aperitif will take on the taste of dark chocolate.
But don’t overcook it, or you’ll just end up with a scorched taste.
How to make homemade cognac using oak bark?
From moonshine
First The recipe for cognac made from oak and moonshine is simple. The hardest part is preparing chips.
You will need:
- wood chips (60 g);
- moonshine (liter).
Another ingredient - burnt sugar(caramel). Sugar is needed to give color to the French "twin brother" great drink. A teaspoon dissolved in small quantity water and boiled until golden brown. Our actions:
Laying it down oak chips into a jar, fill it with high-quality, put it in a dark place. The infusion should remain there for 3-6 months.
The main thing is done. Homemade cognac from vodka (moonshine) is ready, all that remains is to “touch it up”. To do this, add to the infusion sugar syrup. Stir and let it sit for a couple more days. If you want to make the taste original, add a couple of cloves and 0.3 vanillin to the nectar.
This cognac is prepared at home from:
- alcohol;
- moonshine;
- vodka.
Any alcohol will do, the main criterion is quality.
From vodka
Second cognac recipe– using pharmaceutical oak bark.
Cognac made from oak bark, purchased at a regular pharmacy, has excellent taste. In addition, you can be sure: it does not contain harmful impurities. What will you need?
- moonshine or (3 l);
- oak bark (3-4 tablespoons).
Let's also take a tablespoon of honey and 5 clove buds. You can add pepper (10 peas), oregano (a tablespoon), and vanillin on the tip of a knife. It would be a good idea to add a tablespoon of St. John's wort to the infusion.
Mix everything and put it in a dark place. So, from vodka on oak bark you can make an aperitif, very similar to cognac.
The duration of infusion is from 14 to 16 days. Next is the mandatory step filtering. So that homemade cognac prepared according to this recipe turns out clear, without sediment. filter it 3-4 times.
After straining, place the alcohol in fridge and wait another 10 days. Now the result should satisfy you.
From alcohol
Recipe three: with the addition of dried fruits. The fruit of our labors will be homemade cognac from alcohol with subtle notes of prunes.
This cognac at home will require purchasing a slightly larger range of ingredients, but the result will delight you with its novelty and pleasant taste.
- alcohol (3 liters, don’t forget to dilute it to 400);
- oak bark (3 tablespoons);
- sugar (take 3 tablespoons and prepare a thick syrup, “fry” the sugar until brown);
- rose hips (you can take dried ones - 10-15 pieces);
- black pepper (4-5 peas);
- loose leaf tea (black, teaspoon);
- St. John's wort (twig);
- prunes (1-2 pieces);
- raisins (tablespoon).
First, soak the rose hips with oak bark V boiled water . Then mix everything and place it in glass jar and put it in a dark room for a week. After 7 days, remove the prunes and raisins from the jar. Let's wait a couple more weeks.
Strain through 2-3 layers of gauze. Pour into bottles and put in the refrigerator for a week. The last stage of preparation is one more filtration.
Secrets of oak bark
Why does a drink made without grapes turn out similar to cognac, the original product of French winemakers? The secret lies in properties of oak bark. It contains tannins, which give a characteristic slight bitterness and astringency.
In addition, they play a role aromatic acids– they make the aroma complex and interesting. Lactones and phenolic compounds enhance their effect. As a result, we get an aperitif with properties similar to those of real cognac.
Snacks for cognac with oak bark
If you decide to prepare strong alcoholic drink, do not forget to complement it with good ones when serving snacks. The latter are suitable:
- meat and fish dishes;
- fruits;
- chocolate (bitter).
We offered simple recipes making an aperitif using chips. Anyone can implement them in practice. The only thing required from a newly minted specialist is patience.
And your work will be rewarded! What is your opinion (ideally supported personal experience) about this question? Is it possible to get an aperitif at home that has the characteristics of cognac?
Useful videos
How to make cognac in 1 month, see the video below. Making homemade cognac using Dubrava oak bark is a simple and very detailed recipe:
The video below shows imitation cognac on oak bark from moonshine. Very similar to the real one, look:
View detailed step by step video recipe for a beautiful, fragrant, delicious analogue of cognac at home from alcohol with oak bark and other ingredients:
Try it different recipes, including those proposed by us. Just as truth is born in a dispute, so for real delicious drink"born" only after empirically the winemaker managed to find his own, original recipe . Maybe you add some ingredient to minimum quantity and your drink will become indistinguishable from French cognac. It is possible that it will turn out even better!
Let us know about the results of your creative experiments. And we will share it with other readers.
According to this recipe, you can make cognac from either well-filtered cognac.
You will need:
3 liters of vodka or high-quality homemade moonshine;
10 pieces. carnations;
6 pcs. prunes;
100 g sugar;
2 tbsp. dry tea leaves;
A packet of vanilla.
Place all ingredients in a glass jar and fill with vodka (moonshine). Shake the liquid and put it in a dark place for three days. Once a day, the cognac must be shaken thoroughly. After three days, strain the cognac and bottle the finished drink.
Making homemade cognac using oak bark
This homemade one is somewhat more complicated than the previous one, as it requires more ingredients.
You will need the following products:
1 liter of vodka;
3 tsp granulated sugar;
300-400 g of a mixture of raisins, rose hips and dried apples.
1 tsp lemon juice;
2 tbsp. oak bark;
Ginger and vanilla on the tip of a knife.
Pour vodka into a 3-liter jar. Place the oak bark in a gauze bag and tie it tightly. Add all the necessary ingredients and mix thoroughly. Close the jar with a nylon lid and place it in a dark place for 10 days. Shake the liquid in the jar every five days. After 10 days, strain the homemade cognac on oak bark and bottle it.
Recipe for homemade cognac with spices
This recipe will appeal to lovers of “pepper” in drinks. Preparing cognac with spices is just as easy as preparing drinks according to previous recipes.
You will need:
3 liters of vodka;
1 tbsp. dry tea leaves (it is better to take the highest grade);
5 bay leaves;
5 black peppercorns;
Half a red pepper;
1 tbsp. dried lemon balm;
3 tbsp. Sahara;
Vanillin on the tip of a knife.
Place all the spices in a jar and fill with vodka. Infuse the cognac for 10 days in a dark, cool place, then strain the drink, squeeze out what is left in the jar, and strain everything again through cheesecloth. At this point, the preparation of homemade cognac is completed; you can pour it into bottles and seal it.
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