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Metaxa
When you think of Greek spirits the first thing comes to mind is Ouzo, the anise flavour liqueur. If you've tried Greek wine (Retsina ) you might have liked it, or maybe not. Some of the wines use a pine resin to seal the barrels leaving a unique flavour that is what people remember about these wines. These wines are not quite like other vintages. After that the only other spirit that is well know is Metaxa. Some people say Metaxa is a brandy, but in reality it is more of a brandy based liqueur, since there are all sorts of things added to it, including wine and natural botanical substances.
For the uninitiated, Metaxa is basically a flavoured brandy from Greece. Its base is brandy and is sweetened with muscat wines and then flavour with a bunch of herbs. Metaxa is aged in limousine oak barrels for three, five or seven years. When you see a bottle of Seven Star Metaxa, the number of stars signifies the age. Other ages are available (like 12 and 16 year), but rarely found outside of Greece. Caramel colouring is also added to the Metaxa to give it a deep brown / gold colour.
The flavour of Metaxa is unique, but very pleasant. It has a sweetness that comes from the muscat wines. It also has some citrus notes, maybe coriander, and other botanicals. Rumour has it that rose leaves are part of the botanical mix. The finish is smooth wih light herbal notes lingering on the palate. The most obvious things is that the Metaxa is extremely smooth, without any heat commonly associated with brandies, considering it is 40% alcohol. It still has some warmth, just not any burn.
The best thing about Metaxa is that it has a lot of properties that make it good for use in cocktails. First it is smooth, but it still has some heat. Second it has lots of subtle flavour so it will work with a wide variety of mixers. Any cocktail made with brandy could easily substitute Metaxa for variety. For example you can take an American Beauty and turn it into a Greek Beauty. Or you can take a Baltimore Bracer and turn it into an Athens Bracer.
Metaxa Cocktails
Athens Bracer
1½ oz Metaxa
1 oz Ouzo
1 Egg White
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Note: A Baltimore Brace uses brandy and anisette instead of Metaxa and Ouzo.
American Beauty
1 oz Metaxa 5-Star
1 oz Orange Juice
½ oz Dry Vermouth
¼ tsp Creme de Menthe (white)
1 tsp Grenadine
½ oz Tawny Port
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Greek Coffee
1 oz Metaxa
½ oz Apricot Brandy
4 oz Hot Coffee
Add hot coffee to a sugar rimmed glass and top with whipped cream.
Coffee Royale
3/4 oz Metaxa
3/4 oz Galliano
Fill with Hot Black Coffee
13 Comments on Metaxa
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I don't know if this is a common thing elsewhere, but in Seattle a large number of bars use Metaxa 5 Star as the brandy in their Sidecars.
I do that myself too as a result (though the 7 Star is even better).
2:1:1 Metaxa:Cointreau:lemon is hard to beat.
Metaxa's one of those oddities that I rarely use and see people use. I wonder if it's drunk more outside of the US. The only drink recipe I can think of is the International Stinger, which is essentially the Coffee Royale without the coffee.
Metaxa would go well in a side car. I use it in Centaurs (brandy mojito with ginger ale). Otherwise, the usage around here is limited to collecting dust on bar shelves, except in the Greek restaurants.
My experience with Metaxa is worse - in my opinion it has a kind of artificial taste and it is not a must have spirit at all.
Even I do not understand how to call it liqueur - because there is no massive sugar added!
Anyhow there are lot of interesting spirits and liqueurs and this is just a cheap and unworthy product with a quiet good marketing...
Ah Metaxa, that brings up memories of drinking the 3 Star from a flask bottle as a student in Greece. If I remember correctly, the 3 star was some pretty rough stuff. The roughness was equivalent to drinking some of the cheaper blended scotches, though, of course, the taste is different. If you're in Athens in the market for Metaxa, stop by Bretto's in the Plaka and pick up some of their homemade ouzo as well, in the quaint metal bottles for easy airline transport.
While in Greece a couple years ago, Metaxa and Tonic with Lemon was advertised extensively. I thought it quite delicious!
Well, one Greek liqueur that's much more unique than Metaxa is the mastic liqueur from Chios island. I don't know how easily you could get one if you're not in Greece, but I've made some very very very interesting mixes with it.
Michael,
We just came back from Greece and found tht the importer for Masticha is Athenee Imports. Go to their web site and click on distributors for one near you.
You may have to special order it.
Good luck,
Mike
I have a vintage bottle of Metaxa, which appears to date from the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Could I be reading the label incorrectly? If not, is this valuable? Is it drinkable? Where would I look to find these answers? Thanks
You can make a terrific sidecar with Metaxa in place of the brandy. A little orange juice along with the lemon goes well.
I also have a vintage bottle of Metaxa, which appears to date from the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915. I found it locked away in my father's basement. Is that the correct location for the date? Is this valuable? Is it drinkable? Where would I look to find these answers? Thanks
Gentlemen,
I have a bottle of Metaxa, with the seal intact, from the 1915 Panama Pacific Inter. Exposition Grandprix held in San Francisco, CA. This is a Five Star product. The bottle is a 4/5 Quart which has the name AUSTIN NICHOLS & CO,. INC., BROOKLYN, NY on the tax stamp. The tax stamp number is 36A4127007 and is a 92 Proof distilled grape brandy. Can you help me in determining its worth?
Whoa! Masticha? Beware.
I'd like to point out a few things: there are lots of non-retsina Greek wines (Boutari being a name you're likely to see). These all taste like, well, wine, rather than the weird pine-infused taste of retsina (which even among Greeks tends to be an acquired taste at best).
I don't have any experience drinking Metaxa, but this has intrigued me enough to try it.
Bizarrely, I not only drink ouzo fairly often (it's nice), but I have tried Masticha. Holy moly is it weird. The "mastic" in question is basically a chicle-like tree sap, and it gives the stuff a strong, sweet bubblegum flavor. It was appalling. If you envisioned "Absolut Bubblgum" gum-infused vodka, you'd be pretty close to the taste.
I'd be intrigued by the kinds of mixers that start with Masticha.