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- For the waste product created during olive production, see Orujo (olive waste).
Orujo is a liquor obtained from the distillation of the pomace (solid remains left after pressing) of the grape. It is a transparent spirit with an alcohol content over 50% (100° proof). Its name comes from the expression "aguardiente de orujo" (pomace eau-de-vie).
It is a popular beverage in the northwest part of Spain, especially in Galicia where it is also called augardente or caña and is an element of collective identity. It is also known in Castile and Leon, and Cantabria (principally in the valley of Liébana), where it has become an artisanal craft for some families who after making wine for themselves distillate the pomace in a little pot still. 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 home made 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 6 hours or more. The copper stills used by Galicians for centuries are thought to have been brought to the Iberian peninsula by the Arabs. It should be noted that alcohol distilled in this old-fashioned way can contain harmful alcohol and oils and is best left to the experts.
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
Since the XVI 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 La Denominación Específica Orujo de Galicia, (Denomination Orujo of Galicia,) which was formed in 1989. Although orujo from Galicia is probably the most famous, it is also made in other regions, such as Cantabria. 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.
From orujo, Galicians traditionally make a drink called queimada, in which bits of lemon peel, sugar and ground coffee are put into a clay pot. Then the orujo is poured on top and the pot is lit on fire until the flame turns blue. This ancient tradition dates back to Celtic times and includes a ritual where the queimada-maker recites a "spell" as he makes the drink.
Other versions
Orujo, although with distinct names and characteristics, is also found in other countries, such as Italy (where it is produced as grappa),Germany where its name is Tresterschnaps, Peru (known as Pisco), Portugal (known as aguardente), Hungary (törkölypálinka),Bulgaria,Rakia Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, and Cyprus. In Galicia itself it is also sometimes referred to as Augardente and in the rest of Spain as Aguardiente.
In an attempt to replicate the taste of Orujo in Latin America, which was an extremely popular drink in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish developed similar liquors such as Pisco in Peru. These Latin American versions, however, were considered inferior in taste and quality to the original liquor from Spain and were consequently much cheaper in price. (source?)
The term "orujo" (in galician, "bagazo") is also sometimes used as a synonym for the pomace of the grape (prior to distillation).
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