Aquardente de Medronho

Posted on November 3, 2007
Filed Under Now Drinking

This past week we had two spirited events, Halloween on the Oct. 31st., and “All Saints Day” on Nov. 1st. Celebrating Halloween is something quite new in Portugal, but “All Saints day” has been celebrated here, and around the globe by Catholics for centuries. With all this talk of Spirits, I think this is a good time to talk about another special spirit, not the spooky kind but rather the blow your socks off powerful kind. What Spirit am I talking about…? Aguardente de Medronho.

Aguardente de Medronho Algarve

The alcoholic drink that’s been associated with fine drinking for decades and is exclusive to the Algarve.

When I was little, my father used to drink a glass every now and then, that caused him to burst out in a big Aaaaahhhhhhh at the end of the shot - curious, I asked him once what he was drinking, his answer, “Mata Bicho”, “Germ Killer”. So until I was much older that’s what I thought Aguardente was called. The reality is that my father’s “Mata Bicho” was much more sophisticated than he let on, guess this was his way of keeping the rest of us away from it. I later discovered his favourite was of course Aguardente de Medronho, the finest Aguardente produced in the Algarve.

Aguardente Medronho

Aguardente is the actual liqueur much like vodka, and Medronho (aka strawberry-tree) is the fruit that gives it a special flavour. Similar to the strawberry, the Medronho fruit has its seeds on the outside and a soft flesh on the inside, with a small delicate pit in the center. The fruit is small and round, with an orange and deep read colour, biting into the fruit one feels its graininess, but when bitten through it’s soft and delicate center collapses with a mellow meaty sweetness. When ideally ripened, the bumpy exterior turns an almost black in colour, this is when these little strawberry balls are ideal for harvesting and making of Aguardente de Medornho.

NOTE: Aguardente can be made from other fruits such as figs but the most revered is still Medronho.

The fermentation process takes about 2-3 months, then it’s aged in oak cases for up to 8 years. Aguardente is also typed similar to wines, but in this case are generally referred to as Bagaco, Bagacaeira, Velha, Velhissima, Antigissima, Alma, etc. with various producers and ages. The most inexpensive of Aguardente can start a couple of Euros and go up to a couple of hundred, so there is a wide range to choose from. The Alcohol content can be quite strong with an average rating of 40+%, so it’s definitely the drink to wash way those strange germs my father talked about…

Aguardente is normally severed as an after dinner drink and is well known as “Um Chierinho”, if asked at a restaurant this is what the server is referring to, and you have the option of having it on the side or direclty in your coffee. Aguardente is also a potent drink and not for the timid, but you only live once so give it a go! It’s also a fantastic sipping drink for dry desserts like chocolate salame and morgado, but for a truley “inside” taste of the Algarve try Aquardente de Medronho with a good “Figo Cheio”, a dried fig stuffed with almonds and spices, wonderful and very unique. The Algarve’s figs and almonds are some of the best in the world so, if you’re ever offered Aguardente de Medronho with Figo’s Cheios, DON’T PASS … you must, must try this unique cultural experience which is very specific to the Algarve!