Aguardiente aiguardent (Catalan

Catalan language

Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...

), aguardente (Portuguese

Portuguese language

Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

), and augardente (Galician

Galician language

Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...

) are generic terms for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume

Alcohol by volume

Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....

. The terms mean "fiery water."

The word is a compound word

Compound (linguistics)

In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme that consists of more than one stem. Compounding or composition is the word formation that creates compound lexemes...

 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).

Definition

By definition, aguardientes are strongly alcoholic beverages, obtained by fermentation

Fermentation (food)

Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...

 and later distillation

Distillation

Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....

 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

Orange (fruit)

An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....

, grapes, bananas, or medronho ("cane apple"). Grain-based ones may be made from millet

Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...

, barley

Barley

Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...

, or rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 and tuber-based aguardientes from beet

Beet

The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...

, manioc, or potato

Potato

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...

, and finally what are classed as "true" aguardientes from sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

 and other sweet canes, including some species of bamboo

Bamboo

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....

. Under this definition, many other distinct liquors could be called aguardientes, including vodka

Vodka

Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....

, sake, pisco

Pisco

Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile and Peru. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain...

, and certain forms of hard chicha

Chicha

For the musical genre, see Peruvian cumbiaChicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, rather often to those derived from maize and similar non-alcoholic beverages...

.

This definition, nevertheless, is not legally accepted by the European Union, 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 fron raw material". From bananas, or oranges or medronho it is not possible to obtain "aguardiente". Cognac, instead, is namely listed as a concrete wine "aguardiente". Calvados is listed between other cider and perry "aguardientes".

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

Rum

Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...

. 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.

Brazil

In Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, a beverage known as cachaça

Cachaça

Cachaça is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane.It is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. It is also known as aguardente, pinga, caninha and many other names...

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.

Colombia

In Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, aguardiente is an anise

Anise

Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...

-flavoured liqueur derived from sugarcane, popular in the Andean region. Each department

Departments of Colombia

Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...

 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, where rum is most popular. In general, aguardiente is rarely drunk in cocktails, and usually drunk neat.

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, aguardiente is known as guaro

Guaro (drink)

This page is about the drink, for other uses, see GuaroGuaro is the name of a kind of liquor in many places in South and Central America. It is a clear liquor made from sugar cane, and has a slightly sweeter taste than comparable liquors...

. 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.

Chile

In Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, 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

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 grappa

Grappa

Grappa is an alcoholic beverage, a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume...

, by distilling the grape residue, primarily the skins and pulp () plus the stems () and seeds, left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It is used to make several other flavored liquors, such as the murtado

Murtado

Murtado is a typical liqueur from southern Chile where the endemic Ugni molinae grows. It is made by conserving Ugni molinae inside a bottle with aguardiente for some weeks and then mixing it with syrup....

or (using sun dried murtilla, an orange-reddish wild rose fruit), the (soaking sun-dried morello cherries) and licor de oro

Licor de oro

Licor de oro is a typical Chilotan liqueur made of aguardiente and whey. The other ingredients are saffron and lemon peel....

(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

Cola de mono

Cola de mono is a traditional Chilean drink served around Christmas time, very much like the tradition of serving eggnog during Christmas in North America...

(monkey tail).

Ecuador

In Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

, aguardiente is also derived from sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

, 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

Canelazo

Canelazo is a hot alcoholic beverage consumed in the Andean highlands of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru.-In Ecuador and Colombia:It typically consists of aguardiente , sugar or panela, and agua de canela . Canelazo is traditionally made with homemade aguardiente, but bottled alcohol is also used...

, or mixed with the juice of agave

Agave

Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....

 masts and Grenadine

Grenadine

Grenadine is traditionally a red syrup. It is used as an ingredient in cocktails, both for its flavor and to give a reddish/pink tinge to mixed drinks. "Grenadines" are also made by mixing the syrup with cold water in a glass or pitcher, sometimes with ice....

 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

Zhumir

Zhumir Latin Spirit is an Ecuadorian brand of spirits, marketed on a national scale. Zhumir is often, incorrectly, referred to as Rum outside of Ecuador.-Origins:...

 and Cristal

Cristal Aguardiente

-Colombia:An aguardiente of the guaro type named Cristal is produced in Manizales, Colombia by Industria Licorera de Caldas. The Colombian brand is a guaro, which means it is made by distilling fermented sugar cane juice. It is the most imported label of guaro in the United States.-Ecuador:The...

 (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

Vodka

Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....

 coolers available in North America. In Ecuador, aguardiente is the most commonly consumed strong alcohol.

Galicia

Galicia, the northwestern region of Spain, is renowned for its quality and variety of aguardientes. Probably the most famous type is Aguardiente de Orujo

Orujo

Orujo is the name in north-west Spain for pomace brandy . It is a transparent spirit with an alcohol content over 50%...

, 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. 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.

Haiti

In Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, a beverage known as kleren or clairin

Clairin

Clairin is a strong spirit, similar to rum, made from cane sugar. Clairin is only produced in Haiti.Clairin is produced during the same process of distillation as rum, although it is not refined to separate the different alcohols produced by fermentation and exhaustion.In both Zora Neale Hurston's...

(French spelling) is made from sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

. Kleren is clear, but it is often combined with fruits or roots to create something called "tranpe."

Mexico

In Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 in the state of Michoacan

Michoacán

Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...

, charanda

Charanda

Charanda is an alcoholic liquor derived from sugar cane, similar to rum. Typically the drink is associated with the state of Michoacan in Mexico, in particular the Tarascan populated areas in the vicinity of Uruapan. The flavor is a buttery sweet, similar to vanilla and is usually served at room...

is a traditional rum-like sugarcane aguadiente.

Portugal

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

Port wine

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...

, 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).

United States

During the mission

Spanish missions in California

The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...

 and rancho

Ranchos of California

The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...

 periods of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 history, aquardiente was made out of mission grapes

Mission (grape)

Mission grapes are a variety of Vitis vinifera introduced from Spain to the western coasts of North and South America in the 16th century by Catholic New World missionaries for use in making sacramental, table, and fortified wines.-History:...

. It was popular during the Gold Rush of 1849.