The cold weather is here, and the June festivities (Festa Junina) are just around the corner—which means it’s the perfect time to enjoy the traditional food and drinks of the season, right? Today, we are sharing a super easy and delicious Quentão recipe to warm you up. Let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients for this easy Quentão:
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar;
- 1 ½ cups water;
- ¼ cup fresh ginger, thinly sliced;
- 3 limes, sliced into rounds;
- 8 oz (approx. 4 shots) Cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane spirit);
- 4 whole cloves;
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
How to make this easy Quentão:
- Start by caramelizing the sugar in a pot over medium-low heat.
- Next, reduce to low heat and add the water, ginger, lime slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring continuously until the caramel is fully dissolved.
- Once the caramel has dissolved, add the cachaça and let it simmer for another 3 minutes over low heat.
- Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Pro Tip:
It is very important to let the drink simmer on low heat; this helps to infuse and intensify all the rich flavors and aromas.
Did you know?
Quentão is a staple drink of Brazil’s traditional June festivals (Festas Juninas). The traditional recipe is made with cachaça, sugar, and warming spices like cloves and cinnamon, often rounded out with ginger and citrus peel. It is a cozy, comforting drink perfect for chilly nights. If you prefer, you can also make non-alcoholic versions of Quentão using grape or apple juice instead of cachaça.
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