The famous Grogue
The appearance of sugar cane in Santo Antao is without a shadow of a doubt connected with slave trafficking. Based on this assumption, we can reach the conclusion that the introduction of this plant into Cabo-verdean flora dates back to the early days of colonization, though its production in Santo Antao only became possible at the end of the 17th Century/start of the 18th Century.

 

At first brandy producers were violently prosecuted by the authorities whom claimed that its production cast blight on public health. "Legal Bill no.124 of December 1941 places a ban on the manufacturing of brandy on grounds of health and promotes to the growth of food crops; however, the law proved unsuccessful and merely led to the clandestine manufacture in, and all illegal trade of brandy (Grog), according to "Subsidios Para a Historia da ilha de Santo Antao (1462/1963). Year 1866 saw the institution of brandy tax and in 1887 a study was carried out on sugar; Administrative Ruling no.391 of December 22, 1900 ordered the creation of hand-guards between the irons of the trapiches.

 

How to make Gorgue
To obtain the transparent liquid we know as brandy, we must first pass through various stages, each of which demands special care and attention.

 

Stage 1, involves "stripping" the sugar cane of leaves, an operation carried out by hand and without the aid of any tools. The leaves are tied in bundles and are later used to roof houses. In years of drought they are used as animal pasture and sometimes as fuel to stoke up the fire in brandy distillation. Only canes which are in bloom are picked; these are cut into 50 cm strips using a cutlass.

 

The trapiche is a hand-made machine whose every working part is vital. It consists of three steel rollers which turn round in alternative directions and are driven by a pair of oxen or, in recent times, a mule.

 

The animals' power works its way through to the rollers by means of a lever of low-arched tamarind tree branches, known in some regions as an "almanjarra" which moves the machinery by means of rack-wheels.

 

Two men sit next to each other on the seat; their job is to pass the cane between the rollers; these squeezes the sugar cane, thereby producing syrup which is collected in the through channel called the "cubre". The syrup is used to make brandy or honey. The animals moving the trapiche are driven by a man know as the ox driver (kolador di boi). It is now - trapiche time – that the "kola boi" can be heard, one of the most popular work ballads in Santo Antao and which is still sung today.

 

At times the ballad is so melancholy that it moves all those who are hearing for the first time. The yoked oxen go around hundreds of times moving the trapiche to the rhythm of the "kola boi". After a number of turns tears can be seen to cloud the oxen's eyes. There are those who say that this is the sad lament of the "kola boi". Other more skeptical observers believe it is merely the result of tiredness and the dust which has been raised.

 

The themes touched upon in the "aboios" or "kola boi" (sad songs to which herds of oxen are driven) are always of a socio-economic nature, portraying everyday situations and the difficulties faced by most Cabo-verdeans to earn their daily bread. The owner sometimes neglects to "wet the worker's whistle" and the "ox-driver" soon provides him with a discreet reminder of this oversight in a verse specially designed for this purpose. Getting the message, the owner orders a round of grogue to be served to lift the worker's spirits.

 

The fermentation of Syrup
Once the cane has been crushed, the syrup is put into barrels for fermentation purposes. This usually takes around five days. Once it has fermented, it is taken to the still, a copper receptacle holding around 200 liters.

 

Prior to use, the still must first be rubbed in lemon and ash. It is then washed in hot water and rubbed in crushed sugar cane and finally dried using a clean, dry cloth. If distillation is interrupted for over 24 hours the still is washed in cold water after every three days' work.

 

The still is partly buried in a loosed stone oven where the fire is fuelled by means of crushed sugar cane, as mentioned above, or using banana tree leaves. The syrup is usually boiled in crushed sugar cane.

 

Once the syrup is in the still, the distillation process can begin. It is boiled for an hour and only then is water run into the coxe (a type of wooden bed supported by a Y-shaped strip of fig tree trunk down which the cold water runs). The syrup vapors condense along the pipe and the brandy is collected at the far end of the pipe from which it trickles out. The brandy's proof is measured by emptying a small quantity out onto a calama. The froth is the litmus test of the brandy's quality but the final say goes to an experienced master.

 

The proof can be measured using a hydrometer but the best masters prefer the visual method.

 

The first liquid to come out of the still is collected in a bottle for medicinal purposes. If the final liquid drawn at the end of distillation measures less than 20 cartiers it is dubbed rape, (rapaz or agua-pe - light wine) owing to its low strength. At a later stage this liquid is mixed with syrup and re-distilled.

 

The trapiche has been the cause of many a misfortune depriving people of their fingers or hands when they failed to remove them in time when pouring sugar cane into it. In the old days it was common to meet people who were left fingerless or even without hands thanks to the "handwork" of the trapiche rollers.

 

Nowadays you seldom find the traditional trapiche as it has been widely replace by a mechanical version with a view to increase production. Tasting of Grogue is a must attend event when visiting S Antao.