Charanda is an alcoholic spirit derived from sugarcane, similar to rum. Typically the beverage is associated with the central portion of the State of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

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

Uruapan Uruapan is the second largest city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente region. Since the colonial period, it has been an important city economic ...

. 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 (also ''P'urhépecha'' , tsz, Phorhé or ''Phorhépecha''), often called Tarascan, which is a pejorative term coined by Spanish colonizers ( es, Tarasco), is a language isolate or small language family that is spoken by some 140,000 ...

meaning 'red-colored soil'. Obtained through the

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the he ...

and rectification (double distillation) of sugarcane cold-extracted and then fermented juices. The result is a colorless crystalline spirit. When stored and aged in oak or encino barrels the spirit acquires hues of

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In M ...

. 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 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 {{distilled-drink-stub