Grogue Distilleries of Paul

Grogue is the Cape Verdean cane spirit, and the Paul valley on Santo Antão is where the best of it is generally reckoned to come from. The distilleries are small family operations called trapiches: cane cut from the terraces above is crushed in a mill, often still an ox or engine-driven roller press, fermented in open tanks and distilled in a simple copper still, with the result sold locally and increasingly bottled. Ponche, grogue with sugar and lemon, is the sweetened version.

What you actually see

• The trapiche mills - roller presses crushing cane cut from the valley terraces.
• The open fermentation - the tanks where the juice is left to work.
• The copper stills - the simple pot stills the spirit runs from.
• The ponche - the sweetened version made with sugar and lemon.

When to go

February to June is the cane pressing season and the time to see the process working. Outside it the stills are usually idle. Visits are informal and best arranged locally.

Honest expectations

Outside the pressing season most trapiches are not running. Visits are informal and hygiene standards vary. Grogue is very strong and the hospitality can be insistent.

Nearby

Vale do Paul runs above, and Vila das Pombas is at the coast.