In Russia to cognac traditionally give a lemon. However tasters consider that it is hardly possible to think up the worst maintenance, the bright taste of a lemon kills taste and a smell of the drink.
It is considered that the tradition to have a snack cognac on a lemon was put by Nicholas II, but it is authentically unknown what moved the emperor on this step, the combination to a lemon doesn't allow drink to reveal fully. True judges of cognac use it without snack, only this way it is possible to taste a full bouquet of aromas and tastes which collect in "an elixir of gods" for years.
In the homeland of cognac, in France, it is used previously having warmed up a glass with drink in palms, small drinks, without snack. The glass of cognac is often accompanied here a cup of coffee which is drunk before cognac and a cigar which is smoked later. This order is established by the rule of three "C": coffee, cognac, cigar (Cafe, Cognac, Cigare). However to recommend to conform to this rule it is possible only in case it is planned to drink 50-100 grams of cognac. During a feast for this drink it is possible to pick up more essential snack.
The same French, for example, offer paste to cognac, rabbit paste is considered especially successful snack. Perfectly firm grades of cheese will approach. The real gourmets have a snack cognac on cheese with honey (pieces of cheese lower in a dish with the warmed-up honey). Nuts can become quite good snack for cognac also. From second courses low-fat meat (veal) and a bird is well combined with cognac. Seafood will help to estimate refined aroma of drink. Besides traditional oysters and scallops, it is possible to choose a salty salmon and red caviar as snack. Such snack as will be to the taste to sweet teeth: bitter chocolate, light grapes, nut souffles. Wash down cognac with juice of light grades of grapes or still mineral water. What there were recommendations of specialists in tasting of hard alcoholic beverages, when choosing snack for cognac it is worth deferring to the taste and preferences and habits of your guests, first of all.