Os Parentes Galician Cooperative Society (Galician)
Mamacarmen made three kinds of coffee liqueur: for children, for women and for men. The one for children had no alcohol in it, the one for women was very soft, and the one for men was the strongest. She used to brand each bottle with a paper tied with a string: hombres, mujeres, niños (in Spanish).
The quality of the Oleiros aguardiente played an important role on the final product, and this beverage used to be the main attraction on family meetings, together with desserts, chit-chats and pot coffee.
Here we present you the recipe she left us for coffe liquor for men- the other two, they were a secret of hers.
-50 grams of coffee per liter of aguardiente (ground, blend)
-1/4 kg. of sugar per liter
-one lemon peel
In a caraffe or pot, put together aguardiente, coffee and the lemon peelings, which will then be mixed for the period of a month by stirring the container once in a while.
To make the liquor, strain all the liquid, then boil the solid in water (one liter of water per 8 of liquor). Then filter this water through a wipe. Then heat the water, and, when it is almost boiling, mix the sugar in.
Mix it all. Then try adding more sugar, for a sweeter beverage, or more aguardiente, for a stronger one.
If left for a few months to settle in the caraffe, its flavour will improve.
(Mikel Gonçalves, Noia)
Mamacarmen |
Valença, Portugal, 02-2008 |