Medronho

Arbutus unedo, medronheiro in portuguese or strawberry tree in English is natural in mediterranean Algarve mountains. It is a beautiful tree that produces a round fruit: medronho.
Traditionally the fruit will be harvested in the end of summer and kept in large dornas (big wooden barrels) for fermentation.
Now, in March, it is time for burning the fermented medronho in house made alembics and produce a wonderful very strong and tasteful liquor.
Most alembics are housed in small shanty buildings, on the mountains near Monchique, where the fruit is harvested and the wood picked for the necessary fire.
We visited these alembics, saw the whole process of brewing, had a wonderful lunch cooked on the wood fire and finally tasted the great medronho.
An unforgettable day.