Continuing our little exploratory travel, from the previous article: Popular Madeiran Food & Beverages: Part 1 we found ourselves in the word of Madeiran Beverages.
And they are plenty!
Suffice to say we will stick with some of the most popular ones but you can always count on us to uncover more of these wonderful beverages during our exquisite Tours!
As such with Madeira Exquisite Food on Foot Tours you can rest assured we will accompany you every step of the way!
So please check our availability: https://www.madeirafoodonfoot.com/our-tours.html
As for the drinking delicacies here are some of the most popular in Madeira:
Aguardente de Cana
Madeira's Sugar Cane Rum is a popular and agricultural rum which results from the perfect combination of natural and human factors, allied with a secular “know how”, which grants unique and distinct characteristics to this product. As a type of firewater it is produced through controlled fermentation and careful distillation, along with sugar cane syrup, obtained by steam cooking sugar cane juice. A must!
Ginga
Ginja (or Ginjinha) is also a very popular madeiran liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol (aguardente) and adding sugar together with other ingredients. A perfect beverage to sweeten your day!
Poncha
Considered one the most popular drinks, in Madeira, this beverage is a must! Made with sugar cane rum, bee honey and lemon juice. It can also be prepared with other fruit juices, like orange or mandarin, but the lemon juice is what is used in its original, traditional and better known version. It is mixed with a tool officially created for this purpose, called a muskot.
Nikita
Rumor has it that this famous cocktail owes its name to Elton John’s hit song: Nikita. Both came out and were stars in 1985.
Either way, this popular drink is considered a sweet, cold and exotic beverage that every visitor should also try!
Nikita is made of ice cream (various flavors), sugar, pineapple rings, and an alcoholic beverage, such as white wine and / or white beer, all of which are well mixed until its creamy.
Vinho Madeira
Madeira Wine is also considered one of the island's best beverages. As such Madeira Wine is characterized by its taste of caramelized sugar, resulting from the aging in wooden casks. The best tasting glasses are tulip shaped and average size in order to better perceive the fragrance. It is a unique wine, intense, sweet and fresh, which gets better over the years. Also keep in mind there are many madeiran wine variaties! But still an absolute must!
Coral
On of the local must haves, and it's definitely worth trying is the local beer! Brewed by Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira since 1969, this is the beer you order in Madeira! It is made from the best malts of Czech origin, fermented and cured at low temperatures. It has a pale gold color, a clean, aromatic flavor, a body of light and a pleasant aroma, highly esteemed by locals and visitors alike!
In conclusion, as you can see and read, there are plenty of beverages to go around and much more to be be explored! Meaning this general reference will be a good starting point to any beverage fan! And don't forget you can always come and join us, Madeira Food on Foot, and try them all during our Tours. Enjoy!