Aguardente

Aguardente, literally "burning water," is the generic term for Portuguese grape spirit, distilled from wine or grape pomace. It plays a crucial role in Portuguese winemaking as the spirit used to fortify port wine, halting fermentation and preserving natural sweetness. Regional variations include aguardente velha (aged brandy) and aguardente bagaceira (pomace spirit).

In the Beiras and Trás-os-Montes, small-scale copper pot still distillation remains a living tradition. Aged aguardentes from producers like Adega de Favaios rival fine French cognacs in complexity. The spirit is consumed as a digestif, used in cooking, and forms the base of traditional liqueurs like Licor Beirão and ginjinha.