What is Ginja? Sour cherry liqueur from Portugal – Switzerland
Whoever stands at the bar "A Ginjinha" at Largo de São Domingos in Lisbon at ten in the morning sees something that would raise eyebrows in Switzerland: retirees, lawyers in suits, and tourists with guidebooks drink a tiny glass of red liqueur, bite into a pickled sour cherry, and move on. In 1840, a Galician monk named Francisco Espinheira opened this bar – it is still exactly the same size as it was back then (about the size of a large cleaning cupboard) and sells exactly one product. Ginja. Sour cherry liqueur. Portugal's secret national drink. In this article, I explain what Ginja is, where it comes from, how to drink it properly – and where you can buy it in Switzerland without having to fly to Lisbon.
What exactly is Ginja – and why has it been consumed since the 12th century?
Ginja (pronounced "Schinscha"; in the diminutive form Ginjinha) is a Portuguese sour cherry liqueur.The base is the sour cherry Prunus cerasus austera – known in German-speaking regions as Morellenkirsche or Schattenmorelle, in English as "Morello cherry." Unlike the sweet table cherry, it has a razor-sharp acidity, a dark ruby-red juice, and a slight bitter almond note in the core. It is precisely this sharpness that defines Ginja. A sweet cherry in schnapps would taste like candy. A sour cherry in schnapps tastes like something.
The liqueur is made by soaking the sour cherries in Aguardente for several months – a clear brandy, usually made from grape pomace. Sugar, cinnamon, sometimes cloves, or a dash of vanilla are added. The alcohol content varies between 12 and 24 percent by volume, depending on the producer. Ginja is served in tiny glasses (3 cl), pure, often with one or two soaked cherries at the bottom.The famous question at the bar is: «Com elas ou sem elas?» – «With them or without?» The correct answer is always with. Those who say without have not understood.
How is Ginja made – and why does it take months?
The basic recipe is embarrassingly simple. Wash sour cherries, remove stems, place them in the glass container. Between the cherries, add sugar, a cinnamon stick, sometimes a few cloves. Then the whole thing is covered with Aguardente vínica (grape-based brandy) until everything is submerged. Put the lid on, store in a dark place, done. The easy part is over.
The difficult part is called Time. A standard Ginja takes at least five months. For the fruit to fully release its acidity, color, and essential oils into the alcohol, patience is required. The best producers in Douro let their Ginja mature for two years.This develops a floral, almost resinous depth alongside the fruit – the cherry is then no longer cherry, but the idea of cherry. Those who shred a liqueur in four weeks get red lemonade with alcohol content. Those who wait, get Ginja.
The best sour cherries come from three Portuguese regions: Óbidos and Alcobaça on the west coast (cool, humid, Atlantic) and the Douro Highlands, where the trees stand at around 800 meters altitude. Altitude and temperature fluctuations give the cherries more acidity and aroma – the same principle as with good mountain wines. I have elaborated more on the geography of the Douro in the article «The 5 Most Important Wine Regions of Portugal» .
Where does Ginja come from – from monks to the chocolate cup of Óbidos?
The trail leads – as so often in Portugal – back to a monastery kitchen. In the 12th.In the century, monks of the Cistercian order from the French Abbey of Cîteaux came to the western Portuguese coastal land and founded the Monastery of Alcobaça there in 1153. They brought knowledge of viticulture, liqueur production, and horticulture – and discovered that the local sour cherries were excellent for steeping in brandy. Initially, the result was a medicinal tincture. A digestive aid after monastic feasts, a remedy for sore throats in winter (which, incidentally, still works excellently today).
Lisbon and Francisco Espinheira
Seven centuries later, in 1840, the Galician monk Francisco Espinheira opened a bar in a tiny corner of Largo de São Domingos in Lisbon with just one product: the sour cherry liqueur he concocted. The bar was simply called «A Ginjinha» («The Little Ginja») and still exists today, with marble walls and old awards from the 19th century.Century and a counter where the city stands. Every day, every weather, every age. A location so compact that no second person fits behind the counter – and yet it has been working for 185 years. Efficient is not always large.
Óbidos and the edible chocolate cups
In the picturesque walled town of Óbidos, about an hour north of Lisbon, another tradition has developed: Ginja is not served in a glass there, but in a small, edible cup made of dark chocolate. You drink the liqueur, bite down the cup along with the cherry, done. Two pleasures, one sip, no washing up (that's the invention I wish I had come up with). The idea originated in the 1990s, so it's relatively young, but it has established itself throughout Portugal.
In 2016, Ginja de Óbidos e Alcobaça was officially registered as a protected geographical indication (PGI, in EU law PGI).The name may only be used for liqueur produced according to strict guidelines from these two regions – a similar principle to a DOC wine. Ginja from the Douro is simply called "Ginja" (without protected designation of origin), but it can easily match in quality.
How to properly enjoy Ginja – neat, chilled, or in a cocktail?
The classic answer is straightforward: neat, in a 3-cl glass, at 15 to 17 °C. Not ice-cold – that kills the aromas – but also not room temperature in summer. In winter, I keep the bottle on my living room shelf. In summer, it goes into the fridge for 30 minutes before it hits the table. Period.
Ginja works both as an aperitif (acidity and sweetness open the stomach) and as a digestif (sugar and Aguardente close the evening).Whoever does both – beginning and end – will likely think the next morning about whether they might have overdone it. Life experience.
Three cocktail ideas that really work
- Ginja Tonic: 4 cl Ginja, top up with well-chilled tonic water, ice, lemon zest. So simple, so good. Similar to an Aperol Spritz, just less orange and less Instagram.
- Ginja Sour: 5 cl Ginja, 2 cl fresh lemon juice, 1 cl sugar syrup, half an egg white. Shake until your shoulders burn. Results in a velvety, sweet-sour cocktail with a crown of foam.
- Ginja with Sparkling Wine: 1 cl Ginja in a flute, top up with dry sparkling wine (or a Portuguese Bairrada Espumante). Like a Kir Royal, just with more character.
For the opening, there is a fourth variant that many underestimate: a shot of Ginja over vanilla ice cream. Works like an Affogato, but instead of espresso, a syrupy sour cherry liqueur. Once you've tried it, you won't order any other dessert next Sunday.
What goes well with Ginja – Cheese platter, chocolate, and Magusto fire
A liqueur with so much fruit and acidity can handle more than most think. Three pairings that work surprisingly well:
- Cheese platter, especially with strong cheese. Roquefort, Stilton, a well-aged Manchego, or an older Sbrinz – the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the cherry neutralize each other in a way that's almost unfairly good. Jam on a cheese platter is standard. Ginja is jam you can drink.
- Dark chocolate, from 70%. Chocolate and sour cherry are one of the oldest pairing duos in patisserie (see "Black Forest Cherry" – the Black Forest folks didn't invent it, but rather pressed a Portuguese idea into a baking mold). A piece of dark Lindt chocolate and a sip of Ginja: the perfect Sunday evening program.
- Magusto. On St. Martin's Day (November 11), wine and young brandy are traditionally enjoyed with roasted chestnuts in Portugal. A small glass of Ginja fits just as well – the acidity cuts through the mealy sweetness of the Castanha. For those who want to recreate it: more about the ritual and method in the article "How to Roast Portuguese Chestnuts".
How does Ginja differ from Kirschwasser, Cherry Brandy, and Maraschino?
Four red bottles, four completely different products.Here is the summary so you don't get confused at the Coop or during the aperitif:
- Kirschwasser (Kirsch): Clear distillate from fermented cherries, usually 40% Vol., completely dry. Swiss classic (Zuger Kirsch, Basler Kirsch). Tastes like cherry stone, not like fruit.
- Cherry Brandy: Sweet liqueur based on brandy with cherry juice or aroma. Often thin, artificial, more popular in baked goods (Black Forest Cherry) than at the bar.
- Maraschino: From the Dalmatian Marasca sour cherry (Croatia/Italy). Distilled and sweetened – a hybrid of distillate and liqueur. Clear in color, almost medicinal in taste, indispensable in classic cocktails like the Aviation or Hemingway Daiquiri.
- Ginja: Undistilled. Pure maceration of fresh sour cherries in Aguardente, with sugar, cinnamon, and patience.Deep red, fruity, with real fruit and real cherries at the bottom of the bottle.
The most important difference: Ginja is not distilled. The fruit remains inside, in the glass, in the bottle, in the taste. You can taste it in the first sip.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ginja
What is Ginja?
Ginja is a Portuguese sour cherry liqueur. Sour cherries (Morellen) are macerated with sugar and cinnamon for several months in Aguardente, a grape brandy – not distilled. The alcohol content varies between 12 and 24% Vol., depending on the producer.
How do you drink Ginja properly?
Neat in a small 3-cl glass at 15 to 17 °C, traditionally with one or two marinated cherries. It works as an aperitif as well as a digestif – or in a cocktail, such as a Ginja Tonic or Ginja Sour.
What does «com elas ou sem elas» mean?
«With them or without?» – referring to the pickled sour cherries in the jar. The traditional answer is always «com elas», meaning with cherries.
What is the difference between Ginja and Kirschwasser?
Ginja is a liqueur made through maceration – sweet, fruity, deep red, with real fruit. Kirschwasser is a clear, dry distillate from fermented cherries with around 40% ABV and tastes of cherry stone rather than fruit.
Where can I buy Ginja in Switzerland?
At Vall'doAido in Oberbuchsiten. We offer Sequeirinha Ginja from the Douro – available in Swiss stock and ready for immediate delivery. Free shipping within Switzerland for orders over CHF 250.
Where can I buy Ginja in Switzerland?
At Vall'doAido in Oberbuchsiten.We offer Ginja from the Douro – not from Óbidos, but from the highlands where the sour cherries grow at around 800 meters altitude. The sour cherries are macerated there with the liqueur Carinus Est Original, an ancient monastic recipe from the Cistercian monastery São João de Tarouca (Beira Alta). Monastic origin meets monastic origin – stylistically, it fits.
→ View Sequeirinha Ginja in the shop
- Ginja from the Douro: Sequeirinha Ginja, 0.5 l (CHF 25) – macerated with Carinus Est Original (monastic liqueur), fresh sour cherries from the Douro, sugar, natural flavors. Slightly lighter in alcohol than the Lisbon bar variant, perfect as an aperitif or digestif.
- If you prefer to stick with port wine right away: the Sequeirinha Porto Tawny Reserva is the closest relative – also sweet, also dark, also from the Douro, but made from grapes instead of cherries. More about it in the Port Wine Article (Vintage, Tawny, LBV).
- For the cheese platter or Magusto evening: pair the Ginja with our Martaínha chestnuts – that's Portugal in two bites and a sip.
All Swiss stock, immediately available. Shipping within Switzerland free from CHF 250, below that at fair conditions. For those who want to see it live: Showroom in Oberbuchsiten, usually open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 12 PM.
Ginja is one of those Portuguese products that looks like a souvenir and reveals itself as a small fountain of flavor.A tradition that has worked for 800 years because the recipe is almost nothing and the result is almost everything. A few sour cherries, a schnapps, some sugar, cinnamon – and very, very much patience. If you're looking for a liqueur this winter that doesn't taste like a drugstore and doesn't cost as much as a single malt: Ginja. With the cherries, please.