"Metaxa" - what it is and what it is drunk with

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Greece is famous for its alcoholic national drinks. Of these, the most famous is Metaxa. What is it? In fact, this is a mixture of brandy and wine, which was invented in 1882 by Spyros Metaxas in Kifisia. The drink was widely recognized and six years later began to be exported to foreign countries. Officially, it was not called either brandy or cognac, as it is something special.

History of occurrence

So, Metaxa appeared more than 120 years ago, its production was based on the traditions of ancient Greek winemaking. In 1888, the first factory for the mass production of the drink opened in Piraeus. The emblem of cognac was an ancient coin, which was found during the construction of the plant. She personified the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the battle at sea at Salamis.

USA is the country where Metaxa is the most common drink. What is it for Americans? This is cognac in its purest form, but grape aging. Another major country where it is preferred is Germany.

Flipping through the pages of ourhistory, you can see that Russian emperors and empresses loved Greek alcoholic drinks: the Greek company was the official supplier of the royal court until the 1917 revolution. In Athens, they still keep the gold medal of the Russian Tsar in memory of this.

Production

For the manufacture of this brandy, double cognac distillation of wine material from Crete, Attica and Corinth (regions of Greece) is used. After that, it is aged from three to fifteen years in oak barrels. Further, the 60-degree cognac "Metaxa" is blended with a special muscat wine, which is produced on the islands of Lemnos and Samos, and an infusion of rose petals and herbs. The wine is aged for at least 12 months.

At the final stage, the drink is poured into oak barrels, put in a cold place and waited for six months. After this period, the mixture is filtered and bottled in original bottles. Currently using branded logos and stickers.

Metaxa for Greeks

Greeks to the question: "Metaxa - what is it?" answer ambiguously. For them, this is not just a strong alcoholic drink - it is a magnificent bouquet, an incomparable aroma and a tribute to traditions. Cognac has a strength of 40%, tastes like French, but with a special flavor of liquor. They do not drink it, they savor it - slowly sipping, enjoying the aroma and taste, feeling how warmth spreads through the body with each sip.

Views

Depending on the exposure, there are several types of noble drink:

• three years– Metaxa 3 stars;
• five years - Metaxa 5 stars;
• seven years - Metaxa 7 stars.

Only in Greece there are varieties of 12 and 16 stars. This collectible drink has been aged for 50 years. There are barrels with 60-, 90-year exposure, but even 7 stars arouses admiration among connoisseurs. The mixture is often used to make cocktails. If desired, ice, lemon are added to them. Have you heard of a drink like Centenaru Metaxa? What is it? This is a drink that is poured into special porcelain vessels.

The secret of the success of the drink is a successful recipe, which is kept in deep secrecy. The export volume is 60%, 120 countries buy this brandy. Since 2000, the manufacturer has been part of the Remy Cointreau group of companies. And now "Metaxa" is listed in the top 100 most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. Agree, this speaks for itself. Thus, Metaxa is a symbol of Greece, the legacy of Dionysus in a glass container.