Generic term for alcoholic beverages containing 29% to 60% alcohol by volume
Aguardente
(
Portuguese
) or
aguardiente
(
Spanish
) (
Basque
:
pattar
;
Catalan
:
aiguardent
;
Galician
:
augardente
) is a type of distilled alcoholic spirit that contains between 29% and 60%
alcohol by volume
(ABV). It is a somewhat generic term that can refer to liquors made from various foods. It originates from and is typically consumed on the
Iberian Peninsula
(
Portugal
and
Spain
) and in
Iberian America
(Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of the Americas).
Etymology
[
edit
]
The word is a
compound
of the
Iberian languages
' words for "water" (
agua
in Castilian;
aigua
in Catalan;
agua
in Portuguese;
auga
in Galician) and "burning"/"fiery" (
ardiente
in Castilian;
ardent
in Catalan;
ardente
in Portuguese and Galician). A comparable word in English is "firewater",
[1]
though the English term is colloquial or humorous, whereas
aguardiente
is stylistically neutral in Spanish.
Definition
[
edit
]
Aguardientes
are strong alcoholic beverages obtained by
fermentation
then
distillation
of sugared or sweet
musts
, vegetable macerations, or mixtures of the two. This is the most generic level; by this definition,
aguardientes
may be made from many different sources. Fruit-based aguardientes include those made from
oranges
,
grapes
,
bananas
, or
medronho
("cane apple"). Grain-based ones may be made from
millet
,
barley
, or
rice
and tuber-based aguardientes from
beet
,
manioc
, or
potato
, and finally what are classed as "true"
aguardientes
from
sugarcane
and other sweet canes, including some species of
bamboo
.
Cane aguardiente
and
cachaca
are similar but distinct products. Brazil thereafter defined
cane aguardiente
as an alcoholic beverage of between 38% and 54% ABV, obtained by simple fermentation and distillation of sugarcane that has already been used in sugar production and has a distinct flavor similar to
rum
.
Cachaca
, on the other hand, is an alcoholic beverage of between 38% and 48% ABV, obtained by fermenting and distilling sugarcane juice, and may have
added sugar
up to 6 g/L.
Regulation
[
edit
]
According to Spanish and Portuguese versions of European Union spirits regulations,
[2]
aguardiente
and
aguardente
are generic Spanish and Portuguese terms, respectively, for some of the distilled spirits that are fermented and distilled exclusively from their specified raw materials, contain no added alcohol or flavoring substances, and if sweetened, only "to round off the final taste of the product". However,
aguardiente
and
aguardente
are not legal denominations.
[3]
Instead, different categories of
aguardientes
(spirits in the English version) are established according to raw materials. In the Spanish version, wine spirit (
brandy
) is
aguardiente de vino
,
fruit spirit
is
aguardiente de fruta
, grain spirit (other than
whiskey
and
neutral grain spirit
) is
aguardiente de cereales
, etc.
[4]
Many
aguardentes
have a
protected designation of origin
:
[5]
- Portugal
- Aguardente Bagaceira Alentejo
- Aguardente Bagaceira Bairrada
(
grape marc
of
Bairrada
)
- Aguardente Bagaceira da Regiao dos Vinhos Verdes
- Aguardente de Vinho Ribatejo
- Aguardente de Vinho Alentejo
- Aguardente de Vinho Lourinha
- Aguardente de Vinho Douro
(wine spirit of
Douro
)
- Aguardente de Vinho da Regiao dos Vinhos Verdes
- Spain
- Aguardiente de sidra de Asturias
(
cider
spirit of
Asturias
)
- Aguardiente de hierbas de Galicia
(herbal spirit of
Galicia
).
Regional variations
[
edit
]
Some drinks named
aguardiente
or similar are of different origins (grape pomace, sugarcane); other drinks with the same origin may have different names (
clairin
, brandy).
Brazil
[
edit
]
Brazilian
cachaca
bottle
In Brazil
, a beverage known as
cachaca
or
pinga
, considered distinct from traditional
aguardiente
, is made from sugarcane.
Cachaca
has two varieties: unaged (white) and aged (gold). White
cachaca
is usually bottled immediately after distillation and tends to be cheaper. It is often used to prepare
caipirinha
and other beverages in which
cachaca
is an ingredient. Dark
cachaca
, usually seen as the "premium" variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant to be drunk
neat
. Traditionally, no herbs are used to flavor the
cachaca
; its flavor is influenced by the fermentation agent, time spent in the cask, or the type of wood from which the barrel is made.
One form that can be qualified as
moonshine
is known as "
Maria Louca
" ("Crazy Mary"). This is
aguardiente
, made in jails by inmates. It can be made from many cereals, ranging from beans to rice, or whatever can be converted into alcohol, be it fruit peels or candy, using improvised and illegal equipment.
Cape Verde
[
edit
]
Grogue
, also known as grogu or grogo (derived from English grog), is a Cape Verdean alcoholic beverage, an
aguardiente
made from sugarcane processed in a
trapiche
. Its production is fundamentally artisanal, and nearly all the sugarcane is used in producing grogue.
Chile
[
edit
]
In
Chile
,
aguardiente
is an alcoholic beverage of 45% and higher ABV (beverages with over 55% ABV are illegal). It is made, like
Italian
grappa
, by distilling the grape residue, primarily the skins and pulp (
hollejo
) plus the stems (
escobajos
) and seeds, left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It is used to make several other flavored liquors, such as the
murtado
or
enmurtillado
(using sun-dried
murtilla
, an orange-reddish wild rose fruit), the
enguindado
(soaking sun-dried morello cherries) and
licor de oro
(flavored with saffron and lemon peel). Dried mint, peeled walnuts, almonds, and other aromatic herbs are also used to flavor the
aguardiente
. It is mainly consumed by itself or as a base to make
cola de mono
("monkey tail").
Colombia
[
edit
]
Colombian
aguardiente antioqueno
In
Colombia
,
aguardiente
is an
anise
-flavored liqueur derived from sugarcane, popular in the Andean region. Different flavors are obtained by adding different amounts of aniseed, leading to extensive marketing and fierce competition between brands.
Aguardiente
has 24%?29% alcohol content. Other anise-flavored liqueurs similar to
aguardiente
, but with a lower alcohol content, are also sold. Since the Spanish era,
aguardiente
has maintained the status of the most popular alcoholic beverage in the Andean regions of Colombia, with the notable exception of the Caribbean region, where rum is most popular. Generally,
aguardiente
is rarely drunk in cocktails and usually drunk neat.
On the Caribbean coast, there is a moonshine called "Cococho", an
aguardiente
infamous for the number of blindness cases due to the addition of
methanol
.
Costa Rica
[
edit
]
In
Costa Rica
, it is 30% alcohol, with a neutral flavor. The Costa Rican government tightly controls Guaro to help prevent clandestine production.
Guam and the Mariana Islands
[
edit
]
In
Guam
and the
Mariana Islands
, a distilled version of
tuba
(coconut
palm wine
introduced from the
Philippines
) is known as
aguajente
(also
aguayente
or
agi
). It is similar to Filipino
lambanog
. It was prevalent among the
Chamorro people
, but is largely extinct; the United States banned its manufacture soon after the acquisition of Guam from the
Spanish Empire
in 1899.
[6]
[7]
[8]
Ecuador
[
edit
]
In
Ecuador
,
aguardiente
is also derived from
sugar cane
, but unlike Colombia, it is left largely unflavoured. It is then taken straight as shots, mulled with
cinnamon
(
canela
in Spanish) and fruit juices to make the hot cocktail
canelazo
, or mixed with the juice of
naranjilla
and
spices
for the hot cocktail
draquita
. Locally or artisanally made
aguardiente
is commonly called
punta
, "puro" or
trago
, and alcohol content can vary widely, from "mild"
puntas
of about 10% to "strong" of about 40% or higher. The traditional distillation process produces
aguardiente
as strong as 60 g/L. Every Ecuadorian province has a slightly different flavor to the
aguardiente
made there, and each province has a different recipe for
canelazo
. In Ecuador,
aguardiente
is the most commonly consumed strong alcohol.
Aguardiente Astillero
is one of the newest brands, becoming very popular due to its symbolic title, especially around Guayas.
Mexico
[
edit
]
In
Mexico
,
aguardiente
goes by many names, including
habanero
.
[9]
In the state of
Michoacan
,
charanda
is a traditional rum-like sugar cane
aguardiente
.
Casa Berreteaga marketed an
aguardiente
called "Berreteaga", which used sugarcane sourced from the Coxcatlan region of Puebla. Berreteaga was a fortified wine made from rum and sweet wine (usually Muscat) or (uncommonly) a sweet brandy that was then aged in oak barrels.
Portugal
[
edit
]
Home-made
aguardente de Medronhos
Portuguese
aguardente
has several varieties.
Aguardente vinica
is distilled from either good quality or undrinkable wine. It is mostly used to fortify wines such as
port
or aged to make
aguardente velha
(old burning water), a kind of brandy.
Aguardente bagaceira
is made from
pomace
to prevent waste after the close of wine season. It is usually
bootlegged
, as most drinkers only appreciate it in its traditional formulation of 50% to 80% ABV. A common way to drink it is as
cafe com cheirinho
("coffee with a little scent"), a
liqueur coffee
made with
espresso
.
[10]
In the
Azores
, this
espresso-aguardente
combination is commonly referred to as
cafe com musica
("coffee with music").
Aguardente
Medronho
is a variety distilled from the fruit of the
Arbutus unedo
tree.
[
citation needed
]
In
Madeira
, it is the core ingredient for
poncha
, a beverage around which a festival is based. Most of the
aguardente
from the region is made from sugarcane.
[
citation needed
]
Spain
[
edit
]
In certain areas of the
Pyrenees
in
Catalonia
,
aiguardent
, as it is known in
Catalan
, is used as an essential ingredient in the preparation of
tupi
, a type of cheese.
[11]
Galicia
is renowned for the quality and variety of its
aguardientes
, including
augardente de bagazo
(
aguardiente de
Orujo
), which is obtained from the distillation of the pomace of grapes, and is clear and colorless. It typically contains over 50% alcohol, sometimes significantly more, and is still made traditionally in many villages across Galicia today.
Augardente de herbas
, usually yellow, is a sweet liqueur made with
augardente de bagazo
and herbs (
herbas
), with
chamomile
being a substantial ingredient.
[12]
Licor cafe
(typical distilled drink in the province of Ourense), black in color, is a sweet
liqueur
made with
augardente de bagazo
, coffee (
cafe
), and sugar.
Crema de augardente
or c
rema de cana
is a cream liqueur based on
augardente
, coffee, cream, milk, and other ingredients. It is similar to Irish cream liqueur. In some places in Galicia, a small glass is traditionally taken at breakfast as a tonic before a hard day's work on the land. The word "
orujo
" is Spanish and not Galician, but is used to distinguish Galician and some Spanish augardentes from those of other countries.
[13]
Most of the moonshine in Spain is made as a byproduct of winemaking by distilling the squeezed skins of the grapes. The essential product is called "
orujo
" or "
aguardiente
" (burning water). The homemade versions are usually more potent and have a higher alcoholic content, well over the 40% that the commercial versions typically have. It is often mixed with herbs, spices, fruits, or other distillates. Types include
pacharan
,
licor de cafe
and
orujo de hierbas
(tea mixed with orujo).
United States
[
edit
]
During the
mission
and
rancho
periods of
California
history,
aguardiente
was made out of
mission grapes
. It was popular during the
Gold Rush of 1849
.
[14]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Odell, Kat (July 2019).
"Why Colombia's National Drink Could Be Your New Summer Go-To"
.
Vogue
. Retrieved
October 19,
2021
.
- ^
"Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008"
. EUR-Lex.
. See the Spanish version
here
and the Portuguese version
here
.
- ^
Chapter I, Article 5. ? General rules concerning the categories of spirit drinks.
- ^
Annex II, 1?14.
- ^
"eAmbrosia the EU geographical indications register"
.
- ^
"Tuba: Guam's 'Water of Life' lives on"
.
Stars and Stripes Guam
. Retrieved
6 May
2019
.
- ^
"Filipinos on Guam: Cultural contributions"
.
Guampedia
. Retrieved
6 May
2019
.
- ^
"Tuba taxed, outlawed, now threatened by rhino beetle"
.
Pacific Daily News
. Retrieved
6 May
2019
.
- ^
Franz, Carl; Havens, Lorena (2006).
The People's Guide to Mexico
. Avalon Travel. p. 96.
ISBN
9781566917117
. Archived from
the original
on 13 April 2017
. Retrieved
15 February
2013
.
- ^
"Lisboando ? Guia de Lisboa"
. Retrieved
2012-08-17
.
- ^
"Formatge de tupi"
.
gastroteca.cat
(in Catalan). Prodeca. 2019
. Retrieved
21 March
2022
.
Aquest producte es el resultat del reaprofitament d'altres formatges. En resulta un dels formatges tradicionals mes representatius de les comarques pirinenques, fruit de l'experiencia dels pastors que reaprofitaven els formatges vells i secs.
- ^
Galicia Espallada
.
- ^
Gastronomia Galega
Archived
November 15, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
.
- ^
Charles Lewis Sullivan (1 October 1998).
A companion to California wine: an encyclopedia of wine and winemaking from the mission period to the present
. University of California Press. p. 3.
ISBN
978-0-520-21351-7
. Retrieved
24 November
2011
.
|
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History and production
|
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History of alcohol
| |
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Production
| |
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|
|
|
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Fruit
|
- Apple
- Banana
- Bignay
- Bokbunja
- Grape
- Java plum
- Longan
- Lychee
- Pear
- Pineapple
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Prickly pear
- Various fruits
|
---|
Cereals
|
- Barley
- Corn
- Millet
- Rice
- Rye
- Sorghum
- Multiple grains
|
---|
Other
|
- Agave americana
- Coconut and other palms
- Dairy
- Ginger
- Galangal
- Honey
- Sugar
- Sugarcane or molasses
- Tea
- Various starches
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
Fruit
|
- Apple
- Cashew apple
- Cherry
- Dates
- Fig
- Grape
- Juniper
- Plum
- Pomace
- Various fruits
|
---|
Cereals
|
- Barley
- Beer
- Buckwheat
- Maize
- Rice
- Rye
- Sorghum
- Multiple grains
|
---|
Other
|
- Agave
- Coconut and other palms
- Dairy
- Sugarcane or molasses
- Various starches
|
---|
|
|
Liqueurs
and infused distilled drinks by ingredients
|
---|
- Almond
- Anise
- Beer
- Blackthorn shrub
- Cherry
- Chili peppers
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Cloudberry
- Coconut
- Coffee
- Cream
- Egg
- Hazelnut
- Herbs
- Honey
- Juniper
- Mammee apple flower
- Orange
- Star anise
- Sugarcane/molasses
- Vanilla
- Various fruits
- Walnut
|
|
|