Quentão

By Rebekah Peppler

Updated Dec. 6, 2025

Quentão
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(12)
Comments
Read comments

Traditionally served during the Festas Juninas, which are celebrated across Brazil during the cooler month of June, quentão is a sweet, spiced and deeply warming drink spiked with cachaça (or sometimes wine). To ensure the drink doesn’t tip over into saccharine, be sure to caramelize the sugar deeply. Don’t be too concerned when it clumps after you add the water — the sugar will re-melt as the spices and aromatics steep. Finally, once the cachaça is added, be sure not to let the liquid come to a boil to ensure the alcohol doesn’t evaporate before it makes it into your mug.

Featured in: Brazil Has a Cachaça Cocktail for Every Season

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings (about 3½ cups)
  • 1cup sugar
  • 1(3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
  • 2cinnamon sticks
  • 6cloves
  • Entire peel of 1 small orange
  • Entire peel of 1 small lemon
  • 2cups cachaça (see Tip)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, add the sugar in an even layer. Set over medium-low heat and cook, keeping a close eye on it, until the sugar begins to brown and liquify. Carefully tilt the pan or very gently stir the sugar with a spatula so it cooks evenly. Continue cooking until the caramel is smooth and deeply golden brown, taking care not to let it burn. This will take 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your stovetop.

  2. Step 2

    Slowly add 2 cups water to the hot caramel. (It will bubble and clump, but any pieces will melt as the mixture simmers.) Add the ginger slices, cinnamon, cloves, and the orange and lemon peels and gently stir to combine. Adjust the heat to low, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is aromatic and the caramel has completely dissolved, 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the cachaça. Continue to cook for 10 minutes more (the mixture should never come to a boil). Remove the quentão from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve (discarding the solids) and serve warm in mugs.

Tips
  • You can make this a few hours in advance and gently reheat just before serving.
  • When buying a bottle of cachaça, look for producers available stateside, such as Yaguara, Novo Fogo or Avuá. Both aged and unaged varieties work well here. Should you find yourself in Brazil, leave room in your suitcase for offerings from local producers.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
12 user ratings
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Comments

sar

This is way too sweet for me, but the flavor is delicious. Can add another cup of water when steeping and that will cut the sweetness a bit. May be even better if I had upped the ginger, lemon and orange for the steeping. Worth a try.

Pernilla Ahrnstedt

What can I use instead of cachaça? Not sure if I can find that here in Vancouver Canada…

sar

This is way too sweet for me, but the flavor is delicious. Can add another cup of water when steeping and that will cut the sweetness a bit. May be even better if I had upped the ginger, lemon and orange for the steeping. Worth a try.

Jenn

@sar Maybe adding juice from the lemon would temper the sweetness?

Margaret

Is there a non-alcoholic alternative?

MP

I’ve seen it made with 100% grape juice and it’s delicious! Apple juice or even hot water are also good substitutes

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