How medronho brandy is made: picking, fermentation and distillation
Medronho brandy is made only from ripe fruit: 6 to 10 kg of strawberry tree fruit per litre, 2 to 3 months of fermentation and distillation in a copper still, at 42% to 54% ABV.
What is medronho brandy?
It is a fruit brandy made only from the fruit of the strawberry tree, typical of the hills of the Lower Alentejo and the Algarve.
Medronho brandy is the ex-libris of distillates from the lower Alentejo mountains . Everything indicates that this spirit began to be produced by hand, for medicinal purposes, by the Arabs in Monchique, around the 10th century.
Greece, Spain and Italy were also the target of this influence and have their alcoholic drinks based on the Medronho fruit.
What is medronho brandy made from?
Only ripe strawberry tree fruit: genuine medronho brandy contains no yeast, sugar, additives or colourings.
How is medronho brandy made, step by step?
In three steps: picking fully ripe fruit, 2 to 3 months of fermentation and distillation in a copper still; the brandy ends up at 42% to 54% ABV.
There are several spirits on the market and those who think that the difference comes only from the alcohol content (between 42º and 54ºVol) are mistaken. The difference comes from 3 steps detailed below :
1- Harvesting the fruits
2- Fermentation
3- Distillation
Any of the bad practices listed below confers negative chemical and sensory qualities to Medronho Brandy and negatively impacts its quality!
For more details contact us!
1. How is the fruit picked for brandy?
By hand, only the red, ripe fruit, without leaves or stalks and never from the ground, going over the same tree several times.
Easier said than done.... and this process results in a high number of hours of labor with several passes through the same tree to collect the fruits at the exact point.
Some common bad practices that affect the quality of the distillate are: fruits out of ripeness (green, yellow, orange), picking of peduncles and leaves along with the fruit, picking of fruits from the ground already in a fermentation state
2. How is the fruit fermented and how long does it take?
The fruit ferments for 60 to 90 days (2 to 3 months), without contact with air, in stainless steel containers at a constant 18 °C or so.
It is at this stage that Medronho sugars are transformed into ethanol (alcohol).
The fruits must ferment anaerobically in stainless steel containers or other material that does not transmit properties to the fermented product. The temperature should be constant, ideally ~18º and the process will take ~60 to 90 days (2-3 months).
Some bad practices include the use of materials that impart unwanted flavors and other flavors to the fermented product, high fluctuations in the fermentation temperature and contact with the air of the fermented product.
3. How is medronho brandy distilled?
In a copper still, separating three parts: the heads (about 5%) and the tails (about 15%) are set aside and only the heart (about 80%) is brandy.
- Distillation must be done in a copper still. Copper will precipitate sulfur compounds and is a good conductor of heat
- The distillation process has 3 phases of distilled product :
- Head (5%) unused part with many volatile and harmful substances
- Heart (~80%) brandy for consumption which will then be bottled
- Tail (~15%) not used as it has less volatile compounds that affect smell and color (especially ethyl acetate)
Distillation is a science and has been evolving, the description above is simplistic if you want to know more contact us .
Some bad practices include not controlling the temperature for uniform distillation, poor conditioning and cleaning of the stills, poor cuts of the 3 phases with excessive use of "Head" and "Tail" which have compounds that give negative chemical and sensorial qualities to the Brandy. medronho
How many kilos of medronho are needed to make a liter of brandy?
It takes 6 to 10 kg of strawberry tree fruit per litre of brandy, depending on ripeness, region, the strength wanted and the still.
This value depends on 4 important factors:
1) State of fruit maturation (ripe fruit will have more sugar and more potential to generate ethanol\alcohol)
2) Terroir , region where the fruit comes from ( lower Alentejo and Algarve, higher sugar level and more flavor)
3) The desired alcohol content in the final distillate
4) The quality of distillation equipment affects the use
How to drink medronho brandy?
Traditionally drunk in its pure state at room temperature as a digestive.
This drink has been the subject of increased attention, exploration and innovation in recent years by bartenders and mixologists .
Its versatility allows you to add it to various cocktails (from traditional cocktails to new creations). New cocktails with medronho brandy
What makes a good medronho brandy?
Clear, colourless or topaz, with a pronounced aroma and taste of the fruit; unlike grape brandies, it is not neutral.
Appearance: clear
Colour: colourless; topaz
Aroma: of medronho fruit and ethereal
Flavour: of medronho fruit, acidity and alcoholic
Unlike other brandies, such as the grape brandies used in Port wine, which tend to be neutral in flavour and non-aromatic, high-quality medronho brandy is aromatic and with a pronounced medronho flavour.
How to measure the alcohol content of aguardente?
With a Gay-Lussac alcoholmeter and a thermometer: the reading is the alcohol content if the brandy is at 20 °C; at any other temperature it must be corrected.
The starting point is to define the scale because several scales have been used for alcohol over time. The scale currently most commonly used in Portugal is the Gay-Lussac scale, although some people still use the Cartier scale.
To determine the final alcohol volume, two pieces of equipment are used: a thermometer and an alcoholometer.
First, a high-precision Gay-Lussac alcoholometer is used to determine the alcohol content. Second, the temperature of the aguardente is measured. If the temperature is 20°C, the level measured in the first step is the alcohol volume. If it is not 20°C, the value obtained in the first step must be corrected to determine the correct alcohol volume.
Does medronho brandy have a use-by date?
If properly packaged and sealed, medronho aguardente has no expiry date and can retain its sensory and chemical characteristics unchanged for decades.
Why is copper used in the distillation of medronho?
Copper removes sulphur compounds (the sulphur smell), conducts heat well and is easy to shape.
Another reason for the use of copper in stills is because it is an easy-to-shape material and make specific and customized shapes.
An important note about copper is the potential formation of verdigris. Constant cleaning of the copper is necessary to prevent the creation of verdigris. If verdigris exists, it will give a bluish aroma and color to the distillate, thus degrading its purity and quality
What is the difference between medronho brandy, gin, vodka and whisky?
Medronho brandy is made only from a wild fruit, fermented and distilled; gin starts from neutral spirit with juniper, vodka from grain or potatoes distilled many times, and whisky from grain aged in wood.
Medronho Aguardente:
Raw material: Medronho (wild fruit).
Process: Fermentation of the medronho, followed by distillation.
Gin:
Raw material: Neutral alcohol, botanicals (juniper, orange peel, etc.).
Process: Distillation of neutral alcohol with an infusion of botanicals, mainly juniper.
Vodka:
Raw material: Grains, potatoes, grapes, fruits, etc.
Process: Multiple distillations to achieve high purity, filtration to remove impurities.
Whiskey:
Raw material: Grains (barley, corn, rye, wheat).
Process: Fermentation of the mash, distillation, aging in wooden barrels (such as oak), contributing to flavor and color.
Grape Pomace Aguardente:
Raw material: Wine.
Process: Distillation of wine to increase the alcohol concentration.
Grape Pomace or Pomace Brandy:
Raw material: Solid grape residues (skin, seeds, stems).
Process: Fermentation of the pomace and distillation of the resulting liquid.
Cognac:
Raw material: Specific white wine from Cognac, France.
Process: Distillation of the wine and aging in oak barrels, contributing to complex flavors.
How do you make medronho melosa?
Boil 500 ml of water with 600 g of honey, 3 cinnamon sticks and lemon peel; once cool, add 500 ml of medronho brandy.
Melosa is the first and best-known liqueur made with Medronho Aguardente.
A typical recipe from the mountains of Lower Alentejo and the Algarve, although it has some variations in preparation, it is quite simple to make and highly appreciated cold or with ice for those who like sweeter drinks and do not enjoy the fuller-bodied flavour of pure Medronho Aguardente as much.
Ingredients:
- Medronho Aguardente (500ml)
- Water (500ml)
- Honey (600g)
- Lemon – 1 (Peel Only)
- Cinnamon – 3 Sticks
How to make:
1) Place the water, cinnamon, lemon peel and honey in a saucepan and leave to boil over medium-high heat.
2) Stir until everything is well dissolved, especially the honey. Once it starts boiling, leave it for about 2 to 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
3) Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks and leave to cool completely, for about 30 to 40 minutes.
4) Finally, add the medronho aguardente and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes before bottling.
How to make Medronho liqueur?
Mix 1 litre of medronho brandy with 1 kg of fresh strawberry tree fruit, add 1 kg of brown sugar after 14 days and strain after a month.
Often confused with "Medronho", Medronho aguardente liqueur is a byproduct of medronho aguardente.
Far from the alchemy of Medronho, it is a typical recipe from the central and northern region of Portugal, where the art of liqueurs is widely explored.
Ingredients:
-1 liter of medronho aguardente
-1 kg of fresh medronhos
-1 kg of yellow sugar
How to make:
1) Mix the Medronho aguardente and medronhos
2) 14 days later, add 1 kg of yellow sugar
3) After 1 month, filter the liqueur, removing the medronhos
Want to know more about Medronho brandy?
If you want to know more about medronho brandy and all stages of the process (fruit picking, fermentation, distillation and packaging) do not hesitate to contact us at the link below or claramedronho@gmail.com