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''Orujo'' is a
pomace brandy Pomace spirit (or pomace brandy) is a liquor distilled from pomace that is left over from winemaking, after the grapes are pressed. It is called marc in both English and French, but " grappa" in Italian and "bagaço" in Portuguese. In Spanish it ...
(a
liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...
obtained from the distillation of
marc Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...
, the solid remains left after pressing of the grape) from northern Spain. It is a transparent spirit with an alcohol content over 50% (100°
proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a con ...
). Its name comes from the expression "'' aguardiente de orujo''" (pomace spirit). It is popular in northern Spain, particularly in
Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
but also in Asturias,
Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
and Cantabria (principally in the valley of Liébana). It is also called ''augardente'' or ''aguardiente'' (firewater), and ''caña''. ''Orujo'' has become an artisanal craft for some families who after making wine for themselves distill the pomace in a little
pot still A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill liquors such as whisky or brandy. In modern (post-1850s) practice, they are not used to produce rectified spirit, because they do not separate congeners from ethanol as eff ...
. Many high-quality distilled spirits have appeared in the last twenty years, including some origin appellations (in Spanish D.O.). These are obtained from quality grapes and produced according to the highest standards and are replacing the traditional homemade liquor, nowadays only available in small villages.


Production

Orujo's basic ingredient is the residue from wine production. Once the grapes are crushed, the ''orujos'' or residue of the grapes can be used to produce the liqueur of the same name. The grape skins, seeds and stalks are fermented in closed vats and then distilled. Stills, called ''alambiques, alquitaras'' or ''potas'' are traditionally large copper kettles that are heated over an open fire, while a ''poteiro'' (''orujo'' distiller) watches over his brew. The distilling process in the ''alambiques'' takes six hours or more. The copper stills used by Galicians for centuries are thought to have been brought to the Iberian peninsula by the Arabs, which in fact, never was. The ''orujo'' that is produced by the distillation is a colorless liquor, while the ''orujo envejecido'' or "aged ''orujo''" is amber in color. The aged variety is fermented and distilled the same way, but is then poured into oak barrels to age for at least two years.


History

Orujo is made in the north of Portugal and Spain. The monasteries in the county of Liébana, Cantabria has been distilling orujo since the Middle Ages. Each November the town of Potes celebrates the 'Fiesta del Orujo', including tastings and a contest where participants distill orujo in public with their own stills and judges award a prize for the best-tasting batch. Since the 16th century Galicians have made orujo on their farms and take great pride in their liqueur, each family carefully guarding their own secret recipe. However, there are now over 20 commercial producers of orujo within ''Denominación Específica Orujo de Galicia'',Homepage
/ref> (Denomination Orujo of Galicia,) which was formed in 1989.


Orujo beverages

From orujo, Galicians traditionally make a drink called queimada (= ''burnt''), in which bits of lemon peel, sugar and ground coffee are put into a clay pot or a hollow pumpkin when available. Then the orujo is poured on top and the pot is set fire to and allowed to burn until the flame turns blue. In the Cantabria, León and Asturias mountain regions of the Cantabrian Mountains, three main derived versions are known, the original, ''orujo de hierbas'' (or ''té de los puertos'', tea of the mountain passes), ''orujo de café'' (''café de los puertos'') and ''crema de orujo'' (orujo cream) among others lesser known.


Other versions

Other pomace brandies similar to Orujo, although with distinct names and characteristics, are also found in other countries, such as France (''marc''), Italy (''
grappa Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof). Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the poma ...
''), Germany (''tresterschnaps''), Portugal (''bagaceira''), Hungary (
törkölypálinka Törkölypálinka (Pomace pálinka, also Torkolypalinka) is a Hungarian pomace brandy, an alcoholic beverage produced by distillation from grape residues (pomace) left over from winemaking. One of the oldest types of pálinka, it is thought to aid d ...
), Romania (''rachiul de tescovina''), while in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus it is the local variant of
rakia Rakia, Rakija, Rachiu or Raki (), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50%). Etymology Fruit sp ...
. In Galicia itself it is also sometimes referred to as augardente, and in the rest of Spain as aguardiente. The term ''orujo'' (in Galician, "bagazo") is also sometimes used as a synonym for the pomace of the grape (prior to distillation).


References

{{Alcoholic beverages Spanish liqueurs Cantabrian cuisine Spanish cuisine Pomace brandies