Aguardiente (Spanish), aiguardent (Catalan), aguardente (Portuguese), and augardente (Galician) are generic terms for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume. The terms mean "fiery water."[1]
The word is a compound word that combines the words for "water" (agua in Spanish; água in Portuguese; auga in Galician) and "fiery" (ardiente in Spanish; ardente in Portuguese and Galician).
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By definition, aguardientes are strongly alcoholic beverages, obtained by fermentation and later 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 a number of 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. Under this definition, many other distinct liquors could be called aguardientes, including vodka, sake, pisco, and certain forms of hard chicha.
This definition, nevertheless, is not legally accepted by the European Union,[2] which uses a very traditional concept of "aguardiente". All "aguardientes" have to be "obtained by the distillation after alcoholic fermentation of an agricultural product or products listed in Annex I to the Treaty which does not have properties of ethyl alcohol or of spirit drink but still retains the aroma and taste of raw material(s) used. Where reference is made to the raw material used, the distillate must be obtained exclusively from raw material".[3] From bananas, or oranges or medronho it is not possible to obtain "aguardiente". Cognac, instead, is namely listed as a concrete wine "aguardiente".[4] Calvados is listed between other cider and perry "aguardientes".[5]
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 that has already been used in the sugar-production process, and which has distinct flavour similar to rum. Cachaça, on the other hand, is an alcoholic beverage of between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume, obtained by fermentation and distillation of sugarcane juice which may have added sugar up to 6 g/L.
In Brazil, a beverage known as cachaça or pinga, considered distinct from traditional aguardiente, is made from sugarcane. Cachaça, like rum, has two varieties: unaged (white) and aged (gold). White cachaça is usually bottled immediately after distillation and tends to be cheaper. It is often used to prepare caipirinha and other beverages in which cachaça is an ingredient. Dark cachaça, usually seen as the "premium" variety, is aged in wood barrels, and is meant to be drunk pure. Traditionally, no herbs are used to flavour the cachaça, and its flavour is influenced by the fermentation agent, time spent in the cask, or type of wood from which the barrel is made.
In Colombia, aguardiente is an anise-flavoured liqueur derived from sugarcane, 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 24%–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, where rum is most popular. In general, aguardiente is rarely drunk in cocktails, and usually drunk neat.
In Costa Rica, aguardiente is known as guaro. In this form it has 30% alcohol and has a neutral flavour. Guaro is tightly controlled by the Costa Rican government to help prevent clandestine production.
In Chile, aguardiente is an alcoholic beverage of 45% and higher alcohol content by volume (beverages with over 55% alcohol content by volume are illegal). 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, 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).
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 canelazo, or mixed with the juice of agave masts and Grenadine syrup for the hot cocktail draquita. Locally or artisanally made aguardiente is commonly called punta, 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 60GL. Every Ecuadorian province has a slightly different flavour to the aguardiente produced there, and equally each province has a different recipe for canelazo. Commercially, aguardiente is marketed on a national scale by the companies Zhumir and Cristal (among others), 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.
Galicia, the northwestern region of Spain, is renowned for its quality and variety of aguardientes. Probably the most famous type is Aguardiente de Orujo, which is obtained from the distillation of the pomace of grapes, and is clear and colourless. 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 in colour, is a sweet liqueur made with Augardente de Orujo and herbs (herbas), with chamomile being a substantial ingredient.[6] Licor café (typical destiled drink in the province of ourense), black in colour, is a sweet liqueur made with Augardente de Orujo, coffee (café) and sugar. Crema de Caña 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 had at breakfast time as a pick-me-up before a hard day's work on the land. The word orujo is actually Spanish and not Galician, but is used to distinguish Galician and some Spanish augardentes from those of other countries.[7]
In Haiti, a beverage known as kleren or clairin (French spelling) is made from sugarcane. Kleren is clear, but it is often combined with fruits or roots to create something called "tranpe."
In Mexico in the state of Michoacan, charanda is a traditional rum-like sugarcane aguadiente.
Portuguese aguardiente has several varieties. Aguardente vínica is distilled from wine, either of good quality or undrinkable wines. 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 as a way to prevent waste after the wine season. It is usually bootlegged, as most drinkers only appreciate it in its traditional 50% to 80% ABV. The most common way to drink it is added to espresso, in what is known as a café com cheirinho (coffee with scent). In the Azores, this espresso-aguardente combination is commonly referred to as café com música (coffee with music).
During the mission and rancho periods of California history, aquardiente was made out of mission grapes. It was popular during the Gold Rush of 1849.[8]
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