Quentão is the quintessential Festa Junina drink and can be made with cachaça or wine
Quentão is a hot drink and traditionally served at a Festa Juina (June Festival) in Brazil. People often drink it through to the end of August, however, as it serves as a classic winter warmer on those chilly nights, especially in the south of the country.
Quentão made with cachaça is more common in the southeast and northeast of Brazil, regions that produce significant quantities of sugarcane. The wine variety is typical of the South, home to the country’s most-prized vineyards. Quentão is so good in fact that we’ve decided that you just have to try it. Experiment with these two recipes – one cachaça-based, one wine-based, and become a fan of Quentão! They’re also perfect for those cold British evenings.
QUENTÃO
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of cachaça (600 ml)
- 600ml of water
- 1/2kg of sugar
- 1 lime peel
- 2 orange peels
- 1 finely chopped apple
- 50g of finely chopped ginger
- 12 cloves
- Cinnamon sticks (to taste)
Preparation
Take a large saucepan and add the sugar, the orange peel, the lime peel, the ginger, the cloves and the cinnamon sticks. When the sugar has melted, add the cachaça and the water, and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes over a medium heat. Strain and add the chopped apple. Once ready, leave it over the heat to be sure it keeps its temperature until it is time to serve.
WINE QUENTÃO (or Mulled Wine)
Ingredients:
- 2 litres of red wine
- 200ml of water
- Half a cup of cachaça
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 12 cloves
- 8 slices of ginger
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Once it has boiled leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.
