Zhumir Aguardiente
Zhumir Aguardiente is Ecuador's classic sugarcane spirit — distilled from sugar cane at Destilería Zhumir in Paute and bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) in a 750mL bottle. A national institution since the early 20th century, it drinks like aguardiente should: bright, grassy, and honest, equally at home in a cocktail or over ice. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof) — label-verified
- Size: 750mL
- Base: sugar cane — "cane alcohol & cane spirits... elaborated with the best varieties of sugar cane"
- Origin: Destilería Zhumir, Paute, Ecuador — the Zhumir family's distillery, crafting aguardiente since the early 1900s
- Style: unaged cane spirit — kin to rhum agricole and cachaça, with its own Ecuadorian character
Ecuador in a Yellow Label
Long before craft spirits were fashionable, the Zhumir family was distilling sugar cane in the Paute valley — and the bright yellow label has barely changed since. Zhumir became Ecuador's everyday spirit: the bottle at family gatherings, the base of the country's cocktails, the taste of home for Ecuadorians abroad. The recipe and tradition, the brand says, remain unchanged.
Tasting Notes
Bright aromas of banana leaf, banana chip, cane stalk, and copper pot. The palate is silky and vibrant — off-dry cane sweetness, papaya, and minerals with a tingling, grassy energy. The finish is medium and interesting, with whipped cream, cane syrup, and a mineral snap.
How to Enjoy
A natural mixer — it brings cane brightness to anything from a Daiquiri riff to a tropical highball — but it sips clean over ice too. For the rum drinker curious about cane spirits beyond molasses, Zhumir is the affordable education; explore more Zhumir to taste the range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is aguardiente?
A broad Latin term for cane-distilled spirits — Zhumir's is an unaged sugarcane spirit from Ecuador, closer to cachaça or rhum agricole than to rum.
What is the ABV of Zhumir Aguardiente?
40% ABV (80 proof), as printed on the bottle label.
How is it different from rum?
Rum is typically distilled from molasses and often aged; Zhumir is distilled from sugar cane and bottled unaged, giving it a grassier, brighter profile.
Order Zhumir Aguardiente online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — Ecuador's classic, by the 750.