Aguardiente/Aguardente

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Aguardiente (Spanish), aguardente (Portuguese) or augardente (Galician) is the generic name for alcoholic drinks between 29 and 45 percent alcohol, meaning "firewater", or, literally "burning water" ^[1] (as it "burns" the throat of the drinker). The word itself is a portmanteau of "agua" and "ardiente."

[edit] Definition

By definition, aguardientes are strongly alcoholic beverages, obtained by fermentation and later distillation or 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 a number of different sources. Fruit-based aguardientes include those made from oranges, grapes, bananas, madronho; grain-based ones include millet, barley, and rice; tubers including beet, manioc, and potato, and finally what are classed as "true" aguardientes from sugarcane and other sweet canes including some species of bamboo. Under this definition, many other distinct liquors could be called aguardientes, including Vodka, Sake, Pisco, and certain forms of hard Chicha.

On 14 November, 1996, it was concluded in analysis that Cane Aguardiente and Cachaça are similar but distinct products. Cane Aguardiente was thereafter defined in Brazil as an alcoholic beverage of between 38% and 54% alcohol by volume, obtained by simple fermentation and distillation of sugarcane, which may have added sugar up to 6 g/L. Cachaça, on the other hand, is an alcoholic beverage of between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume, obtained by fermentation and distillation of select sugarcane that has already been used in the sugar-production process, and which has distinct flavour similar to rum.

[edit] Origins

This is a condensed version, for the complete history please see the main article History of alcohol

Some histories state that the Egyptians were the first to to use fermented liquors, as cures for diverse medical conditions. The ancient Greeks however, pioneered the process of creating and distilling ácqua ardens. Greek aguardientes were created by distilling wine; the Treaty of the Sciences, written by Pliny, contains a fragment of the original recipes as well as the process of distillation using Cedar balsam. Later, the Egyptians developed the first alambics, the designs of which adorn the walls of the temple at Memphis. The Arabic language gives us the words "alambic" (al 'ambic, or glass of distillation) and "alcohol" (al 'cohol, the vapours of distillation.) The expansion of the Roman Empire brought aguardiente to Europe and the Middle East and aguardiente became the base of alchemical elixirs such as the Elixer of Longevity.

In the Middle Ages, in a 1250 study of distillation by Arnaut de Villeneuve, he described the "spirit" of wine; later his contemporary, Raymond Lulle, through the process of distillation 3 or 4 times over very low heat, claimed to have discovered in wine the essences of the four elements, Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. By about 1730, ageing distilled aguardientes had become common practice, and now in the 20th century these are considered distinct from "pure" or "raw" (ie unaged) aguardientes.

[edit] Southern North America and South America

Brazilian Cachaça bottle

In both Mexico and Colombia, Aguardiente is derived from sugar cane. In Colombia, Aguardiente is an anise-flavoured liqueur derived from sugar cane, popular in the Andean region. Each department of Colombia holds the rights to produce it, but aguardiente produced in one region can be sold in another. By adding different amounts of aniseed, different flavours are obtained, leading to extensive marketing and fierce competition between brands. Aguardiente has a 29% alcohol content. Other anise-flavoured liqueurs similar to aguardiente but with a lower alcohol content are also sold. Aguardiente has maintained since the Spanish era the status of the most popular alcoholic beverage in the andean regions of Colombia with the notable exception of the Caribbean Region in which the Rum is king. Colombians in the andean regions drink it straight as individual shots and they rarely use it in cocktails.

In Chile, aguardiente is an alcoholic beverage of 45% and higher alcohol content by volume. It is made, like Italian grappa, by distilling the grape residue, primarily the skins and pulp (orujo) plus the stems (escobajos) and seeds, left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It is used to make several other flavored liquors like 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").

In Brazil, an aguardente known as cachaça or pinga, considered distinct from traditional aguardiente, is made from sugar cane.

in Ecuador, aguardiente is also derived from sugarcane but unlike Colombia it is left largely unflavoured. It is then taken straight as shots, mulled with cinnamon and fruit juices to make the hot cocktail called Canelazo, or mixed with the juice of agave masts and Grenadine syrup for the hot cocktail called Draquita. Locally or artisannaly made aguardiente is commonly called Puntas, and alcohol content can vary widely, from "mild" puntas of about 10% to "strong" of about 40% or higher. Commercially, aguardiente is marketed on a national scale by the companies Zhumir and Cristal, who both offer a number fruit-flavoured versions of the liquor along with the traditional flavourless variety. Both companies also offer sparkling coolers based on aguardiente that are similar to the vodka coolers available in North America. In Ecuador, aguardiente is the most commonly consumed strong alcohol.

[edit] Portugal

In Portugal, aguardente is distilled from vinho verde grapes, using a process similar to the French cognac. It is often aged in oak barrels previously used for port wine. The resulting product is called Aguardente Velha.

[edit] References

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