This one was kind of a random find. I was perusing the shelves at one of my local liquor stores recently, and I saw something new. It checked off several boxes for me--I'd never had it before (in fact, I don't think I've ever had any Colombian drinks), it was anise flavored, and it was relatively inexpensive--about $19 for a 750 mL bottle. Specifically it was Aguardiente Antioqueno, from the Fabrica De Licores & Alcoholes De Antioquia company. (I did have some Colombian candies years ago--see my post on July 22, 2017.)
Later, after doing some research, I discovered that I'd bought the national drink of Colombia. Which makes sense--I'm guessing the country's more obscure beverages probably don't get exported much. Anyway, aguardiente is a combination word, as "agua" means "water," and "ardiente" means "burning," in Colombia's native Spanish. Or basically, "firewater." The ingredients for this booze are simple--water, alcohol, sugar cane, and anise. The brand I got is also, not surprisingly, the most popular one in Colombia. The alcohol content is a bit low for a hard liquor, being only 29%. Evidently it used to be the more usual 40%, but it was lowered a while back for tax reasons. Also, somewhat confusingly, aguardiente is a generic, catch-all term for liquor with an alcohol content of between 29-60% in many Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. But in Colombia it just refers to the drink I bought.
I've noted before that I enjoy licorice, and correspondingly the licorice-like anise flavor. (For example, I've already posted about Australian licorice on January 20, 2017, and about Finnish licorice on July 1, 2017.) Several of my favorite hard liquors are also anise-flavored, such as the Italian Sambuca, the French/Swiss absinthe (See my October 18, 2015 post), and the Greek ouzo (look for a post about this one in a few weeks or months). The Turkish raki and the Bulgarian/Macedonian mastika also are flavored by anise. So all in all I wasn't taking a big chance on this new drink.
Aguardiente Antioqueno: This beverage was clear, and had a slight anise/licorice-y odor. As is reportedly the traditional way in Colombia I had this straight, as a shot. Once chilled, once at room temperature. The taste was okay, but not great. The anise flavor was a bit subdued, I thought. I like a bigger, more intense anise flavor, like absinthe and Sambuca. It wasn't terrible or anything, but just a bit tame. Later I tried mixing a shot that was a mix of both aguardiente and Sambuca, and this improved the experience.
As I often do, I'll fill this out a little by discussing some fun facts about Colombia, and some notable people who have Colombian heritages. For starters, it is the worldwide leading source of emeralds. It also has the planet's tallest palm trees, as some of them can reach heights of 60 meters (or about 197 feet). Additionally, Colombia is the 2nd most biodiverse country in the world, after Brazil. (Biodiverse means having the most variety of types of life, such as plants and animals.)
In the world of music, Colombia boasts Shakira, who's noted for her singing, dancing, songwriting, and philanthropy. Actress Sofia Vergara, known for such films as "Big Trouble" (2002), "Lords of Dogtown" (2005), "The Smurfs" (2011), "Machete Kills" (2013), "Chef" (2014), and the television show "Modern Family" (2009-20), is Colombian. As is Catalina Sandino Moreno, notable for roles in "Maria Full of Grace" (2004, for which she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar), "Love in the Time of Cholera" (2007), "At the Devil's Door" (2014), "A Most Violent Year" (2014), and "Incarnate" (2016), among others. Actor John Leguizamo claims Italian, Puerto Rican, and Lebanese heritage as well, but he was born in Colombia. He's arguably best remembered for roles in such films as "Casualties of War" (1989), "Die Hard 2" (1990), "Carlito's Way" (1993), "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), "Land of the Dead" (2005), and "John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017). Moving to writing, there's Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. His best known novels are probably "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (1967), "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" (1981), and "Love in the Time of Cholera" (1985). Famous Colombian Major League Baseball players include shortstop/second baseman Orlando Cabrera (Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels, among others), and current players Jorge Alfaro (catcher with the Miami Marlins), and Julio Teheran (a pitcher now on the Los Angele Angels). Finally, the most decorated Colombian Olympic athlete is Mariana Pajon, who won gold medals in Women's BMX (cycling) at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games (and may well be competing in the 2021 rescheduled Games as well). (Update, Pajon won a silver medal in Women's BMX in the Tokyo Games.)
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