Singani is a grape
BrandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
made in
BoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, similar to
piscoPisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile and Peru. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain...
,
distilledDistillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
from a variety of the
muscatel grapeThe Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world...
grown in southern
BoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It is Bolivia's national liquor. Singani is used to make many traditional cocktails, including the
chuflayChuflay is the name of a traditional Bolivian mixed drink. The drink is made on the rocks in a tall glass, such as a Collins glass, with a jigger of singani and filled with either ginger ale, 7-Up, or Sprite and often garnished with a slice of lime. Chuflay is used in special events, ie. weddings,...
and the
yungueñoThe yungueño is a traditional mixed drink in Bolivia. It is made from a jigger of singani, simple syrup or sugar, and orange juice. The name means that the drink comes from the Yungas, a tropical and very humid region in the valleys of Bolivia inhabited by Indians who created this mix....
.
Singani originated in the Valley of Cinti in
ChuquisacaChuquisaca is a department of Bolivia located in the center south. It borders on the departments of Cochabamba, Tarija, Potosí, and Santa Cruz. The departmental capital is Sucre, which is also the constitutional capital of Bolivia.-Geography:...
, the result of the locals distilling wine obtained from the Augustinian missionaries, who had been making wine in the region since about 1550. It is now made exclusively in the
Tarija DepartmentTarija is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south-eastern Bolivia bordering Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km²...
, the wine center of Bolivia. Singani is considered an exclusive product of Bolivia, and was declared an
geographical indicationA geographical indication is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin...
(GI) on May 4, 1992.
External links
Further reading
Lougheed, Vivian and John Harris (2006).
Bolivia. Walpole, MA; Hunter Publishing.