What does aguardiente mean?
Aguardiente is a strong distilled spirit whose name translates literally from Spanish as 'burning water', a nod to the fiery sensation it produces. Produced throughout Spain and Latin America, it takes many regional forms: in Colombia it is the beloved national drink, an anise-flavored sugarcane spirit often nicknamed 'guaro', while elsewhere it may be a rougher, unaged distillate of sugarcane, grapes, or other fermentables. The word entered English as a loanword and appears most often in travel writing, menus, and cultural commentary rather than everyday conversation. Its connotations are earthy and festive — associated with village celebrations, toasts, and local tradition rather than refined sipping. For anyone exploring Latin American culture, aguardiente is both a drink worth knowing and a vivid example of how language carries history in a single word.
nounA strong, often colorless distilled alcoholic spirit made in Spain and Latin America, typically from sugarcane, grapes, or aniseed; the name literally means 'burning water' or 'fiery water'.
- A strong distilled spirit produced in Spain and Latin America, commonly made from sugarcane, grapes, or flavored with anise.
- In Colombia specifically, the national anise-flavored sugarcane spirit, often simply called 'guaro'.
"The villagers toasted the harvest with shots of homemade aguardiente."
"At the festival, elders passed around a bottle of anise-scented aguardiente."
"Colombian aguardiente is traditionally sipped slowly from small glasses during celebrations."
The plural is rare in English and appears mainly when distinguishing several varieties or brands of the spirit.
"The tasting menu featured three distinct aguardientes from across South America."
Its name literally means 'burning water' — because drinking it feels exactly like its etymology promises.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aguardiente
Aguardiente comes from Spanish, where it was formed from the Latin roots 'aqua' (water) and 'ardens' (burning), giving the literal meaning 'burning water'. The same Latin participle 'ardens' gave English the words 'ardent' and 'ardor'. The Portuguese counterpart, 'aguardente', shares the identical origin, reflecting the shared Roman heritage of the Iberian languages. The term has been attached to distilled spirits since the early modern period, when distillation spread through Europe.
How aguardiente is actually used
The word is a Spanish loanword used in English chiefly in discussions of Latin American and Iberian drinks and cuisine. It varies widely by country: Colombian aguardiente is anise-flavored and relatively mild, while Mexican and other versions can be harsher, unaged cane or grape spirits. In casual speech it is sometimes shortened to 'guaro' in Colombia.
Easily confused with aguardiente
Aguardente is the closely related Portuguese term for a similar spirit, whereas aguardiente is the Spanish-language name used in Spain and Latin America.