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Aguardente de medronho, or simply medronho, is a spirit made by fermenting and distilling the fruit of the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), a shrub of the hills of southern Portugal. It is the traditional brandy of the Algarve, distilled in copper stills, and the name Medronho do Algarve is protected as a geographical indication.
Origin and history
Distillation reached the Iberian Peninsula around the 9th and 10th centuries through Arab cultures, and traditional methods are still alive in the Algarve. In the hills, medronho was distilled in small family stills, often in the backyard, and passed down from generation to generation.
Brandy made according to the product specification may use the name Medronho do Algarve PGI, which guarantees origin and method. According to DGADR, this spirit has lower levels of methanol and ethyl acetate than ordinary medronho brandy, and a fruitier profile.
How it is made
The medronho is a small, round and very fragile fruit, which ripens and is picked by hand from September onwards. The fruit is left to ferment for weeks. Distillation is then carried out patiently in copper stills, usually from late January or in February. The brandy may also be aged in oak or chestnut casks, which give it woody notes.
Picking requires care and time, and fewer and fewer people are willing to do it. That is why an artisanal medronho is an increasingly rare product.
Where it comes from
The geographical area of Medronho do Algarve includes municipalities such as Aljezur, Monchique, Silves, Lagos, Portimão, Albufeira, Loulé and Faro, as well as parts of Alentejo such as Odemira, Ourique and Almodôvar. In São Marcos da Serra, Silves, Jorge Lima and his wife Esmeralda, of Regionalarte, tend about 100 hectares of wild strawberry trees by the Odelouca river, continuing a family of distillers going back several generations.
How to drink it
Medronho is traditionally drunk in small glasses, as a digestif, after a meal. It is intense, with an aroma of ripe fruit. At Regionalarte, part of the production is aged in old oak barrels, which gives it a woody warmth.
Where to buy
At Ra-Ro you can buy the Medronho Brandy by Regionalarte, from São Marcos da Serra, made with hand-picked fruit and traditional methods. The strawberry tree also gives bitter honey, which the same house sells as Mel Amargo.
Frequently asked questions
What is medronho?
It is a brandy made by fermenting and distilling the fruit of the strawberry tree, traditional in the Algarve and parts of Alentejo.
When is medronho picked and distilled?
The fruit is picked by hand from September. After fermenting, it is distilled in copper stills, usually from late January or in February.
Where can I buy artisanal medronho?
From distillers in the Algarve hills or online at Ra-Ro, which sells the Medronho Brandy by Regionalarte, from São Marcos da Serra.
