The Grogue of Democracy

July 28, 2023 4:14 AM

In some contexts, small-batch production represents high quality and care – French cheeses, Italian olive oil and Kentucky bourbon, for example. In others, it signifies cheapness and inferior quality. Cabo Verdean grogue can possess both elements, leading to highly charged debates over its value. from Inside the grogue wars of Cabo Verde

Processo de produção do grogue (aguardente)
Experience and Discover the Grog
Grogue: Cape Verde’s alcoholic beverage
What is Grogue?

posted by chavenet (12 comments total)

I've had this . . . all over my suitcase. Flying back to Lisbon from a field trip Cabo Verde in 1985 all the locals were packing 5lt bottles of their favorite hooch - as checked luggage. I don't think the baggage-handlers had time to read the "handle with care" stickers.
posted by BobTheScientist at 5:09 AM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

I thought this was going to be about the little green kid in the Mandalorian.
posted by srboisvert at 5:33 AM on July 28, 2023 [7 favorites]

It’s interesting that they call this aguardiente.

From the links it seems to be basically rum that isn’t aged. Am I missing something?
posted by oddman at 6:00 AM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

To be clear. I don’t mean to disparage. I’d love to try some.
posted by oddman at 6:00 AM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

> From the links it seems to be basically rum that isn’t aged.

rum is made from molasses or sugar cane juice, this sounds like it’s more like a sugarcane mash that’s fermented instead of a water/molasses mixture
posted by dis_integration at 6:09 AM on July 28, 2023

>> From the links it seems to be basically rum that isn’t aged.

> rum is made from molasses or sugar cane juice, this sounds like it’s more like a sugarcane mash that’s fermented instead of a water/molasses mixture

That is to say, rhum agricole.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 6:33 AM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

> this sounds like it’s more like a sugarcane mash that’s fermented instead of a water/molasses mixture

I think that's just inept communication by the writer:

> the whole of the sugar-cane plant is put into something called a trapiche, which presses it between two rotating barrels to reduce it to a liquid

I took the liberty of looking up "trapiche" on Google: in this case it means "sugar cane juice press." They're not fermenting whole-cane mash.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 6:39 AM on July 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

There's a good video of the process in the second to last link ("Grogue: Cape Verde’s alcoholic beverage"). They squeeze the juice out of the cane, ferment it, then distill it. This seems more like cachaça than aguardente to me, but I am no expert on the distinctions between the various cane-based alcohols.

I've always wanted to go to Cape Verde/Cabo Verde; trying this would be fun as well.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:47 AM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

There's a similar tension happening in Mexico with agave spirits: tequila, mezcal, pulque. A whole lot of interest in making high quality beverages with traditional methods. And some local practitioners new and old who are having trouble in the new regulatory system.

We've had some great Cabo Verde posts before, I think all about the excellent music. Worth a listen; Cesária Évora is on regular rotation at home.
posted by Nelson at 8:07 AM on July 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

For the etymologists/taxonomists among you, aguardiente/aguardiente is literally "fire water" and used to describe many or most locally specific boozes throughout Latin America. The Brazilian version specifically includes cane according to Wikipedia. Grogue is mentioned but has no sources cited.
posted by cult_url_bias at 10:56 AM on July 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Rarely are cooperatives mentioned in these type of articles. I collaborated with a group that was dealing with a similar issue with coffee in the sierras of southern Mexico. Fermentation, drying, and, for a percentage of the production, roating where very uneven and not meeting regulations in some cases. Too expensive for every small produced to update their practices and equipment. The solution was a community “patio” with some intake QA and standardized practices. Now the patio is mostly run by women, sometimes you can find single origin Oaxacan coffee that includes the “cooperativa de mujeres” label.

Why not do something similar with this alcohol? Why does the solutions always seem to be to give up and sell out or go underground? I’ve been in places where there is a community still that distills and does QA for a small fraction of the product.

Another voice in the choir: rhum agricole I believe is a protected denomination, but rhum made from spontaneously fermented sugarcane juice, squeezed right at harvest, is quite different from traditional molasses rum or sugar added rums.

I’ve fermented and distilled my own and it is one of my favorite drinks. You can taste the sugarcane. Not for everyone, most people used to aged or even white molasses rum find it to unrefined, too grassy, too funky.
posted by Dr. Curare at 2:27 PM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Grog, Grogu, Grogue - - one of these things is not like the others.
posted by fairmettle at 9:42 PM on July 28, 2023