Aguardente de Medronho MAD is based on medronhos from 168 hectares of medronhais planted and cultivated in Organic Production Mode (MPB) on three estates in the Alqueva area: Herdade do Rio Torto, Herdade Monte Santos and Herdade do Vale.

The arbutus is harvested between mid-October and January and placed in special stainless steel tanks, fermenting for around two and a half months.

The entire production process of MAD follows traditional processes, but the distillation takes place in a unique distillery in Portugal, created exclusively for the Museu do Medronho "because it allows you to control the speed and temperature of the distillation, as well as having the capacity to distil a thousand kilograms of fruit at a time," explains Samuel Pacheco, the mentor of this project.

Once the brandy has been distilled, it goes back to the tanks, the alcohol content is adjusted - to 42% - and it is bottled.

Around 10% of this brandy is used as the basis for Melosa - Medronho and Honey Liqueur, which follows the traditional recipe and also includes water, lemon and cinnamon.