Licor Beirão, Portugal's #1 Spirit
Visiting Portugal? don't forget to enjoy
Licor Beirão
The liqueur YOur heart desireS!
This is the story of a pharmacy, a commercial traveller who sold Port Wine, the daughter of the pharmacist and... a one-of-a-kind liqueur. Yes, you guessed it: we're talking about Licor Beirão. The tale of this unique liqueur could be, in fact, a award winning movie and a #1 book best-seller.
J. Carranca Redondo Lda., the company that produces Licor Beirão, was founded in 1940. But long before that, this liqueur was already around. That’s why today, whether sitting at a table or standing at the bar, there's always someone ordering Licor Beirão.
That's why this is The Liqueur of Portugal.
Because of all this and so much more.
PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE
6 Steps until happiness is on your hands
Licor Beirão: The Liqueur of Portugal
Before being named Beirão, our liqueur was already being produced in Lousã for over a century. It was not until 1929 that it acquired the name Licor Beirão, but it has always been The Liqueur of Portugal.
The Farm
Licor Beirão was born in the heart of Serra da Lousã on a 12-hectare farm called Quinta do Meiral. It has always been essentially family-owned company, and still is, to this day. It is a Portuguese house and brand.
Did you know that...
Until José Carranca Redondo, founder of Licor Beirão, passed away, at the age of 89, he could be found at Quinta do Meiral on a daily basis, actively participation in different activities from operational ones until marketing and management.
Maceration
Maceration is the first step in the production of Licor Beirão. A secret recipe of 13 spices, plants and aromatic seeds is blended with alcohol of agricultural origin. This blend is then allowed to rest in stainless steel vats for a minimum of 3 weeks. Throughout this period, each ingredient is gradually releases its unique properties and fragrances, until it attains the ideal flavour. This is a cold maceration process.
Spices
Some of the spices, plants and seeds that are part of Licor Beirão's DNA are grown in Quinta do Meiral. However, many others come from various parts of the world, including: India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Turkey and Malaysia, among others - to get to our factory and shine.
Did you know that...
The water we use to make Licor Beirão is spring water from Serra da Lousã?
Still Distillation
Licor Beirão is made through a double distillation in copper stills. In these stills, substances with different boiling points are separated to obtain a 72% alcoholate by volume.
Still
We use copper because it is a material that does not impart any flavor to the alcohol, and is an excellent conductor of heat.
Did you know that...
Our stills, which are used for the distillation of the alcoholate, are manufactured in Portugal and fueled by a combination of firewood and natural gas?
Storage in Stainless Steel Vats
After all the steps and different processing techniques, Licor Beirão is filtered and stored in stainless steel vats for a few months before being bottled.
Did you know that...
Our vats have a storage capacity ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 litres?
30,000 Bottles a Day
Today, the average production capacity of our factory is 30,000 bottles a day. That's 10 times more than it used to be, a decade ago.
The Labels
It's then time to dress up and adorn our liquid, labeling it "The Liqueur of Portugal".
Did you know that...
The yellow ribbon embellishing the bottles of Licor Beirão is tied by hand? This means that each one of the millions of bottles scattered around the world has had at least one human touch!
Shipping
It's now time for the bottles to make their way and spread the taste of Portugal throughout the world.
Available in over 40 Countries
The brand, which started merely as a national brand, today exports directly to 40 countries around the globe.
Licor Beirão: The Liqueur of Portugal
Apart from Portugal, Switzerland holds the distinction of having the highest per capita consumption of Licor Beirão, among all regions of the world.
Awards and Recognition
The unrivalled Liqueur leadership
Just like any portuguese person knows, there is a distinction between a regular liqueur and Licor Beirão. A fact already known by the Portuguese people as the number 1 selling liqueur with more than 90% brand awareness, it has gained popularity on the rest of the world.
Sizes
1,75 l, 70 cl, 20 cl and miniature.
Occasions vary, company varies, places vary. That's why your drink also has different sizes, to meet the requirements of every occasion. The one and only thing that does not change is the flavour.
Discover the sizes of your passion here.
The Founder
José Carranca Redondo
