Charanda is an alcoholic spirit derived from

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

, similar to

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

. It is sometimes called aguardiente artisanal rum. Typically the beverage is associated with the central portion of the State of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, particularly the Purépecha-populated areas in the vicinity of the prominently agricultural City of

Uruapan Uruapan () is the second largest city in the Mexico, Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Tarascan Plateau, Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente (Mexico), Tierra Caliente region. Since the c ...

. Named after a hill range in the area called 'Cerro de la Charanda' where the first distillery was built in the region. Charanda is a term in

Purépecha language Purépecha ( autonym: or ), often called Tarascan (), a term coined by Spanish settlers that can be seen as pejorative, is a language isolate or small language family that is spoken by some 140,000 Purépecha in the highlands of Michoacán, Mex ...

meaning 'red-colored soil'. Obtained through the

distillation Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

and rectification (double distillation) of

cold-extracted and then fermented juices. The result is a colorless crystalline spirit. When stored and aged in

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

or encino barrels the spirit acquires hues of

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

. Certain tonalities of blue are seen in Premium distillations from handpicked sugarcanes when a maceration process is added. Buttery sweet in taste, similar to vanilla. It is usually served at room temperature. Charanda was granted protection with a declaration of 'Denominación de Origen Protegida' in 2003 (in English: Protected Designation of Origin or PDO), following the normatives regarding the quality of the sugarcanes used in the production, the characteristics and types of the final product, as well as the methods of extraction and production. It also norms and specifies the geographical region where the name of the spirit can be used for commercial use. Charanda can only be produced in 16 of the 113 cities of Michoacán, a state where sugar cane grows at a 4,000 feet elevation. However, in this state where the agriculture of avocados and strawberries is a driving economic force, many farmers give up on producing charanda. In the past hundred years, it has been estimated that the number of charanda distillers dropped from 80 to 6–7. The state's unfavorable political climate (cartel-controlled) also contributes to the decline of artisan entrepreneurship. Charanda comes in many brands just like any other distilled spirit. Some of the most popular are "Tres Extra", "Tarasco" (three varieties: Blanco, Reposado and Añejo -Premium-), and "Uruapan" (three varieties: Blanco, Plata -Premium- and Real de Uruapan -Premium-).

References

Mexican alcoholic drinks Liqueurs Rums Mexican Designation of Origin Sugar industry of Mexico {{distilled-drink-stub