Lisbon\u2019s legendary liqueur is sweet, strong and totally traditional. Learn the story of ginja<\/i>\u2014and why it\u2019s so much more than a souvenir.<\/h3>\n
It seems that every southern European country has its own iconic liqueur (or several). Limoncello in Italy, ouzo in Greece,\u00a0licor de\u00a0hierbas <\/i>and\u00a0crema de orujo<\/i>\u00a0in Spain\u2026 and in Portugal, ginja. <\/i>You\u2019ll find this deep red liqueur on every list of must-try local specialties in Lisbon\u2014and at countless shops, bars and street stalls around the country.<\/p>\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ginja-1.png\")
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Photo Credit: CMLisboa\/Lojas com Hist\u00f3ria<\/a>, Text Overlay: Devour Lisbon Food Tours<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Ginja <\/em>is a tourist favorite, and for good reason; it\u2019s tasty, affordable and undeniably emblematic of Portuguese culture. But beneath the surface of its obvious appeal, there\u2019s much more to discover about this iconic drink. Once you know the full story of ginja,<\/em> you\u2019ll have even more reason to savor every sip.<\/p>\n Ginja<\/i> is a Portuguese liqueur made from aguardente<\/i> (brandy or fortified wine) that\u2019s been infused with sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon. It\u2019s dark red, super sweet and surprisingly strong, with an ABV of around 18-24%.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that the word ginja <\/i>also refers to the fruit itself, which resembles a small red berry and is highly acidic. In English, it\u2019s formally known as a Morello cherry. The drink is sometimes also called ginjinha <\/i>(your best bet at pronouncing it correctly is to mimic a local speaker). But you don\u2019t need to be able to say it to recognize it at every turn; from street festivals to upscale eateries, in Portugal ginja <\/i>is never far out of reach.<\/p>\n You could say it all began when the Romans brought ginja<\/i> trees to Portugal in the first place. But just like the iconic pasteis de nata<\/i><\/a>, the ginja <\/i>drink <\/i>owes its existence to the church. Several centuries ago, a friar at Lisbon’s\u00a0Igreja de Santo Ant\u00f3nio decided to combine sour cherries, aguardente<\/i>, sugar and cinnamon and let it sit for a while\u2014the same simple recipe used today.<\/p>\n Ginja<\/i> was first sold to the public by a Galician named Francisco Espinheira at his bar in Lisbon\u2014which you can still visit (more on that later)! It quickly became a local favorite, and was even used as medicine to cure minor ailments. In no time at all, it achieved its status as a symbol of the city and the country as a whole.<\/p>\n When I was last in Lisbon, I stayed at a hostel where they gave every new guest a glass of ginja <\/i>upon arrival. As they slid it across the reception desk, they warned, \u201cIt\u2019s not a shot!\u201d They even sold t-shirts proclaiming this philosophy: despite the fact that it\u2019s served in what seems to be a shot glass, ginja<\/em> is meant to be drunk in small sips.<\/p>\n Not everyone agrees on this point. I\u2019ve seen locals drink it both ways, so perhaps it\u2019s a matter of personal preference. But if you ask me, something this delicious deserves to be enjoyed slowly. It\u2019s not as harsh as hard liquor, so there\u2019s no need to throw it back. And unlike actual shots, it\u2019s socially acceptable to drink it at any time of day\u2014including first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n At ginja <\/i>bars in Lisbon, they\u2019ll ask if you want it “<\/em>Com ou sem elas?”<\/i>\u00a0or “<\/em>Com ou sem fruta?”<\/i>\u00a0(with or without cherries\/fruit). If you want your drink to be served complete with a fermented cherry, go for “com elas.”<\/em> Just make sure to watch out for the pit!<\/p>\n The classic ginja <\/i>recipe is pretty perfect in its simplicity.\u00a0But although it\u2019s usually consumed on its own, there are plenty of other ways to serve it. The most common was created in \u00d3bidos, a town just north of Lisbon that\u2019s become widely famous for its locally produced ginja<\/i>. A few years ago, someone there had the bright idea to start serving it in edible chocolate cups, to be devoured immediately afterward. This may not be very traditional, but it\u2019s definitely delicious.<\/p>\n According to the official website of \u00d3bidos<\/a>, ginja<\/em> should be served “as an aperitif or a digestive after-dinner drink, at a temperature between 15\u00ba and 17\u00ba (C) or on hot days, slightly chilled,” and adds that it “may be used in cocktails and in cooking.” Many places in Portugal have started doing just that, coming up with their own takes on\u00a0ginja<\/i>-based mixed drinks. My personal favorite resembles a mojito, with mint, crushed ice and soda water to balance out the sweetness. Another common variation is a ginja<\/i> tonic, which is exactly what it sounds like: gin, tonic and ginja.<\/i><\/p>\n The first place I tried ginja <\/i>was at a local street festival in a small rural town\u2014not a bad way to be introduced to it. You can also buy bottles of it at pretty much any supermarket or food shop; it\u2019s one of Portugal\u2019s most popular souvenirs. But if you\u2019re visiting the capital, there are a few essential spots that you have to hit up.<\/p>\n You can go to Espinheira’s original ginja <\/i>bar, A Ginjinha<\/a> on Largo de S\u00e3o Domingos, for a truly authentic experience. Right nearby around Rossio Square, two other bars offer a similar atmosphere: Ginjinha Sem Rival<\/a> and Ginjinha Rubi<\/a>. All of these places are the real deal, passed down through several generations and still family-owned.\u00a0Check out our guide on where to try ginjinha<\/em> in Lisbon<\/a> for more recommendations!<\/p>\n A glass of ginja<\/i> in Lisbon only costs around one or two euros, making it especially hard to resist. Easy on the wallet, dangerously tasty and entirely authentic\u2026 it\u2019s not hard to see why everyone from Lisbon locals to international tourists are in love with this liqueur. Try it once, and you\u2019re likely to join them.<\/p>\n To learn the stories behind more of Lisbon’s best bites, join our Tastes & Traditions of Lisbon Food Tour! <\/b>You’ll leave with a deeper connection to the city’s food culture\u2014and the people who are a part of it.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This post is part of our Behind the Bite series, deep dives into the dishes that we can\u2019t stop thinking about. Lisbon\u2019s legendary liqueur is sweet, strong and totally traditional. Learn the story of ginja\u2014and why it\u2019s so much more than a souvenir. It seems that every southern European country has its own iconic liqueur […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":17031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1722,1723],"tags":[1232,1758,1759,1730,1724],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is ginja<\/i>?<\/h2>\n
![\"Ginja](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ginja-cherries-1-1.jpg\")
Where did it\u00a0come from?<\/h2>\n
How do you drink it?<\/h2>\n
![\"Fermented](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ginja-fermented-cherries-1.jpg\")
Ginja with a\u00a0modern\u00a0twist<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ginja-chocolate-Alfama-1.jpeg\")
Where to try\u00a0ginja<\/i> in Lisbon<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/best-bars-lisbon-a-ginjinha-1.jpg\")