When foreigners, especially the French, find out about this, they become indignant. They don’t understand how a lemon can kill the most bright taste, combined with the subtle nuances of exquisite cognac. They forget that domestic grape brandy is of much lower quality than French cognacs. To overcome the bright alcoholic taste is the task of any citrus, in particular lemon.
Cognac for breakfast
At the beginning of the 20th century, aristocrats, including courtiers, loved to get a boost of energy with a glass of cognac when they first woke up. Emperor Nicholas II had the same habit. His wife Alexandra Fedorovna expressed extreme dissatisfaction with her husband’s “breakfast” and the emperor was forced to resort to an inventive disguise. 
Under the guise of tea, cognac was quietly poured into a teapot, then poured into a cup and drank in small sips, as if hot tea. And the most common addition to tea is lemon. Therefore, the emperor began to snack on his “tea” with lemon and sugar, which did not arouse any suspicion among his wife.
To support domestic products
Nicholas II wanted the whole world to know that Russia is capable of producing goods that can compete with overseas counterparts. So, at one social reception to which the French ambassador was invited, the emperor was presented with a glass of Shustov cognac. The emperor saw this cognac for the first time, from which he apparently concluded that the drink did not shine with quality. Having drunk a glass of cognac, Nikolai quickly bit into it with lemon and winced, citing the tartness of the latter. Then he praised Shustov and, in front of the French ambassador, ordered the regular supply of cognac of this brand to the court of his imperial majesty.
Tribute to nobility
Nicholas II could not stand cognac and was forced to drink it only because it was considered the most noble of men's drinks. Cognac was served exclusively at high social events, and other strong alcohol was considered bad manners. In order not to feel awkward, the emperor ordered to serve cognac with lemon sprinkled with sugar and a cup of coffee. If his facial expression changed, he could always refer to the lemon.
In truth, it is worth noting that today none of the presented versions have been confirmed for certain.
In addition
Here are some folk snacks created in memory of the unusual taste of the latter Russian Emperor.
Snack “Nikolashka”
Necessary:
- lemon – 1 pc.;
- powdered sugar – 5-100 g;
- ground coffee – 50 gr.;
Recipe:
Lemon is cut into thin slices or slices. Powdered sugar is mixed with coffee (2/1). Lemon slices are sprinkled with the resulting mixture and served on a saucer with a glass of cognac.
In this recipe, imaginative lovers replace coffee with fine chocolate chips, and replace sugar with melted honey. The Nikolashka appetizer is also served with vodka.
Appetizer “Hussar Sandwich”
A slice of lemon is placed between slices of salted cheese.
And still…
Lemon should only be consumed with inexpensive grape brandy of obviously low quality in order to overcome its sharp alcoholic taste. Good cognac for this, they will just take offense at you.
Do you know that eating cognac with lemon is somehow not particularly customary among true connoisseurs of this drink? This is easy to understand, since citrus will easily overpower almost any smell. What can we say about the exquisite taste of cognac? No, of course we are not talking about cheap homemade swill. Even lemon won't help! But where did this tradition come from?
It is believed that the custom of drinking cognac with lemon was introduced by Emperor Nicholas II. And at a minimum, there are three main versions of how this happened:
1. Cognac in the morning
In those days, court aristocrats loved to treat themselves to alcohol immediately after waking up, the emperor was among them. The wife of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, did not like this “breakfast” very much, because of this the emperor had to disguise himself.
He quietly poured cognac into the teapot, then with an important look he poured it into the glass. Cognac and tea do not differ in color; all that remained was to solve the problem with the snack. In order not to arouse his wife’s suspicion, the autocrat ate his “tea” with lemon sprinkled with sugar.
2.Support for domestic manufacturers.
Nicholas II tried to prove to the world that in Russian Empire can produce goods that are not inferior in quality to their overseas counterparts. During a social reception attended by the French Ambassador, the manufacturer Shustov presented the Emperor with a large glass of cognac of his own production.
Realizing that the cognac in front of him was of low quality, Nikolai asked for a slice of lemon. After drinking a glass and eating lemon, the monarch frowned, but explained it tart taste lemon. Then he smiled, praised Shustov’s cognac and ordered this wonderful drink to be delivered to the imperial court.
3. Nobility is above all.
According to another version, Nicholas II hated cognac, but this particular drink was considered the most noble for men and was served at all social events. Drinking anything else was considered bad manners.
In order not to look stupid, the emperor ordered a glass to be brought to him along with a slice of lemon sprinkled with sugar and coffee. He attributed the change in facial expression to lemon, not cognac.
As you understand, these are just versions, and we are unlikely to find out how it really happened!))
It is believed that drinking cognac with lemon is a national Russian tradition. Connoisseurs of this strong French alcohol find this custom barbaric. In their opinion, yellow citrus, with its excessive harshness, interrupts the taste and aroma of the drink. This means that it becomes impossible to enjoy all its delights. Nevertheless, for Russians this is one of the favorite snacks to accompany the noble drink from France.
Lemon wedges Nikolashka
For those who believe that cognac can and should be enjoyed with lemon, we offer a recipe for the Nikolashka snack. It is named after the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II. Legend has it that it was he who came up with the idea of sipping cognac with lemon. Then this habit was adopted by court subjects and the masses.
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon;
- 100–150 grams of sugar or powdered sugar;
- 50–70 grams of ground coffee.
Preparation.
1. Lemon is cut into thin circles.
2. One half is sprinkled with sugar, the other half is sprinkled with coffee. Do not mix.
Possible variations - replace coffee with grated chocolate, and sugar for honey.
In Russia, cognac is enjoyed with various sandwiches made with lemon. You can put a slice of cheese, red or black caviar on a slice of citrus fruit.
Recipe with lemon juice
Various cognac-based cocktails are popular not only here, but also in Germany, the USA, and other countries. Initially, this method was used to reduce the strength of the drink. Now these are independent bar masterpieces.
Ingredients:
- 50 grams of cognac;
- 20 ml lemon juice(it is better to squeeze from fresh fruit);
- 10 ml sugar syrup;
Preparation.
Mix liquid ingredients in a glass, add ice cubes.
Lemon with cognac and honey
This recipe is especially indicated for the treatment colds in the initial stage. Of course, an alcoholic drug will be beneficial provided that it is based on real quality product, and not a cheap fake.
Ingredients:
- 50 grams of cognac;
- 20 ml lemon juice;
- 20 grams of honey.
Preparation.
1. Heat the alcohol until warm. Optimal temperature 60 degrees Celsius.
2. If the honey is candied, you must first melt it in the microwave.
3. Mix everything and drink in small sips, preferably at night.
French traditions
In the historical homeland of cognac, there are canons and ideas about how to drink this drink that are radically different from ours.
It is not chilled before drinking, like vodka. He must be room temperature, then the cognac will be able to reveal its characteristic subtle notes.
You should not drink the drink immediately, you need to enjoy the aroma. Essential oils on outdoors evaporate in a matter of minutes. The first wave of the unique aromas of the bouquet is felt a few centimeters from the glass. The second can be felt by bringing the glass to your nose. It is characterized by deep chocolate and resinous tones.
You need to drink cognac in small sips, savoring it in your mouth for a few seconds. This is the only way to experience the refined taste and pleasant aftertaste.
Cognac should not be taken as a snack; it should be drunk on a full stomach after meals. For true connoisseurs, this is a dessert. Before drinking alcohol, you can drink coffee and smoke a cigar after.
Not every lover can afford cognac, let alone a good one. alcoholic drinks. No, the drink itself is quite affordable, but drinking it properly is quite expensive. For example, in France there is the so-called “three C rule”, according to which they drink coffee first, then cognac and smoke a cigar. But smoking a cigar or cigarette while drinking cognac is considered bad manners among the French, while here it is quite common. Americans dilute cognac with tonic or vermouth and drink it as an aperitif. Slavs eat cognac with lemon. Who invented this, and how to properly snack on cognac with lemon – we’ll tell you here.
Where did the tradition of sipping cognac with lemon come from?
The Russians invented drinking cognac with lemon. There is a legend according to which this tradition was invented by Emperor Nicholas II. Having tried the French cognac, he considered it too strong, but there was nothing to snack on. However, there was a lemon on hand, and he liked this snack. He taught his courtiers how to drink cognac with lemon, and this tradition spread and took root among all the peoples of the CIS countries. Europeans will never understand what “lemon for cognac” is, because for them it is very strange: lemon has a strong taste and completely overpowers the taste and aftertaste of the drink.
Why is cognac eaten with lemon?
It is customary to drink cognac slowly, in small sips, warming the glass in your hand. You are not supposed to drink it in one gulp, just as you are not supposed to pour it into a glass or a plastic cup. Cognac is served in special cognac glasses called “sniffers”. Translated from English, “to sniff” means “sniff.” Pour cognac into such a glass up to its widest part. Top part The sniffer is slightly narrowed, and it itself has a spherical shape, and this is not accidental. This is the shape of the glass that is pleasant to hold in your hands, warming it. And, thanks to the narrowed top, it is pleasant and convenient to inhale the aroma of cognac. There are many rules for drinking this drink, but that’s not about that now.
The Russians are the ones who came up with the idea of sipping cognac with lemon, and to this day this tradition has remained Russian, since no other countries except the CIS countries have recognized this habit. Perhaps this snack has become traditional because we don’t have high-quality cognac, like, say, in France. Or maybe it's a matter of a different mentality. But one thing can be said for sure: today there are no objective reasons why you should not drink cognac with lemon.
Snacks with lemon for cognac
Sometimes you want to make a more original snack for cognac than just cutting a lemon. There are many recipes for snacks for cognac with lemon, but not all of them can be called successful.
Recipes for such snacks may also include other products, including hard cheese, seafood, nuts and fruits. When combined correctly, these products in combination with lemon can fully reveal and complement the taste of cognac.
If we're talking about about a snack that will consist exclusively of lemon, then it can also be made unusual. Lemon can be cut in an original way, sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon ground coffee or salt. By the way, such lemon slices are called “Nikolashki” - apparently in honor of the one who came up with the idea of sipping cognac with lemon.
Cognac with lemon juice or other fruit juice seems quite ridiculous, since any juice changes taste qualities cognac, which the masters created over several years. And yet, it is currently a large number of those who admire this combination. It should be noted that there were many more experimenters in diluting cognac with lemon juice after Maurice Richard Hennessy’s confession about his personal preference for mixing orange juice and cognac. It was from this time that dilution ceased to be prohibited.
Masters say that it is simply impossible to spoil the taste of real cognac, but you can add additional interesting flavor notes to it. In addition, cognac with lemon juice has another advantageous position, since such a cocktail has a reduced strength. Both young people and women prefer low-alcohol drinks.
Cognac with lemon juice is prepared quite quickly, there is no difficult-to-remember recipe, everything is surprisingly simple and easy.
Ingredients
- 20 ml lemon juice;
- 40 ml cognac;
- 10 ml sugar syrup.
Cooking technology
- All ingredients are mixed.
- Pour the finished drink into prepared cocktail glasses and add ice cubes.
- The glass must be decorated with a slice of lemon.
Lemon significantly softens the cognac taste and adds a special piquancy to it, so after the first try of such a cocktail a person has a desire to try it again.
However, this is not the only explanation why cognac with lemon juice is so valued by many. The fact is that such a drink is the main component of a “sports diet”. Its essence is that dinner, consisting of pure protein foods, should be no later than four hours. Two hours after such a dinner, take 100 g of cognac with the addition of lemon juice (or with a bite of lemon) and within an hour, at regular intervals, drink the entire prepared drink, one sip at a time.
