Real Algarve medronho is a fiery distilled aguardente that requires a copper still, and home distilling is not something to try in a kitchen. But the fruit itself, the little red berry of the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), also makes a wonderful steeped liqueur that anyone with a jar and a few weeks of patience can make.
This licor de medronho sits somewhere between our Licor de Amora (recipe on the site) and Licor de Nozes (Trás-os-Montes Walnut Liqueur) (recipe on the site) in spirit: fruit or nuts steeped slowly in aguardente or vodka with sugar, until a raw, almost bitter little berry turns into something warm and honeyed. The medronheiro grows wild across the hills above the Algarve coast, and every October the berries ripen into a deep red that stains your fingers.
In the US, dried arbutus berries can be ordered online from Portuguese specialty grocers and work well once rehydrated. Garden centers also sell Arbutus unedo as an ornamental shrub, and the fruit is the same one.
Licor de Medronho Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh ripe medronho berries (strawberry tree fruit), or 1 cup dried arbutus berries, rehydrated in warm water for 1 hour and drained
- 4 cups vodka or grain alcohol (or aguardente, if you can source it)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 strip lemon peel (no white pith)
Instructions
- Rinse the berries and lightly crush them with the back of a spoon or a muddler to release their juices, but do not puree them.
- Place the crushed berries in a large clean glass jar. Pour in the vodka, making sure the berries are fully submerged. Add the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
- Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark cupboard for 4 weeks, giving it a gentle swirl every few days.
- After 4 weeks, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.
- Strain the infused alcohol through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the solids. Discard the berries, cinnamon, and lemon peel.
- Stir the cooled syrup into the strained liqueur. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- Pour into clean bottles and let rest for at least 2 more weeks before drinking, so the flavors settle and mellow.
- Serve well chilled in small glasses, the way you would a digestif, after a heavy meal.
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