🥃 Macieira
Portuguese brandy brand; the producer traces its history to 1865 and launched the brandy in 1885; royal supplier since 1892; acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2001.
Macieira is a Portuguese brandy brand. According to its producer's website, the history goes back to 1865, when José Maria Macieira founded a company trading in olive oil, vinegar, wine and spirits, and his son José Guilherme Macieira went to the Cognac region of France to study oenology. Macieira brandy was launched on the Portuguese market in 1885, and every bottle is signed by the founder, José Guilherme Macieira. Pernod Ricard acquired the brand in 2001.
History. In 1889 Macieira took part in the Paris World Fair, the start of its international expansion. In 1892 King Carlos I granted Macieira & Ca, Lda. the title of Supplier to the Portuguese Royal Household. The poet Fernando Pessoa is named among its admirers in the 1930s and 40s. In 1972 Seagram & Co bought Macieira & Ca, Lda.; in 2001 Pernod Ricard acquired some Seagram brands, Macieira among them.
Range. The brand website lists Macieira Royal Spirit, the classic reference; Macieira XO, an aged wine brandy (aguardente vínica); and the Macieira Cream liqueurs, introduced in 2022. The base Macieira Cream is made from Macieira Royal Spirit and is 17% ABV.
EU rules. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787, a drink sold as brandy must have matured at least one year in oak receptacles of 1,000 litres or more, or six months in oak casks smaller than that. Its minimum strength is 36% ABV, and it may contain no more than 35 grams of sweetening products per litre, expressed as invert sugar.
Why it matters to you. Check the exact product name and strength on the label: Royal Spirit, XO and the Cream liqueurs are different drinks. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.
Facts
| Year founded | 1865 (company of José Maria Macieira); brandy launched in 1885 (José Guilherme Macieira) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 5 - brandy |
| EU category | 5 - brandy (Weinbrand) |
| Minimum maturation | under EU rules, at least 1 year in oak receptacles of 1,000 l or more, or 6 months in oak casks under 1,000 l |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 36% ABV for brandy under EU rules |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Macieira → kind of → 🍇 Grape brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🌿 Grape
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape brandies, 🥃 Brandy
- Related to
- 🌍 Southern Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Cognac, 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Lourinhã, 🥃 Metaxa, 🥃 Asbach Uralt
Frequently asked questions
Is Macieira a cognac?
Its producer presents it as a Portuguese brandy. The founder's son studied oenology in the Cognac region of France.
Who created Macieira?
According to the brand website, José Maria Macieira founded the company in 1865; his son José Guilherme Macieira studied oenology in Cognac, and the brandy was launched in 1885.
Who owns Macieira?
Pernod Ricard acquired Macieira in 2001 together with some other Seagram brands; Seagram had bought Macieira & Ca, Lda. in 1972. The brand website lists Pernod Ricard Portugal as the contact.
What products does Macieira make?
The brand website lists Macieira Royal Spirit, Macieira XO and the Macieira Cream liqueurs, including a Cream Salted Caramel and a limited Pistachio & Chocolate edition.
What is the minimum strength of brandy in the EU?
36% ABV under Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 5.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🌿 Grape — The berries of the grapevine, whose juice becomes wine, juice and raisins.
Similar
🥃 Stock · 🥃 Christian Brothers Brandy · 🥃 Metaxa · 🥃 Martell · 🥃 Courvoisier · 🥃 Rémy Martin
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Macieira (macieira.pt): História (1865 José Maria Macieira; 1885 brandy launch; 1889 Paris; 1892 Royal Household supplier; Pessoa; Seagram 1972; Pernod Ricard 2001; Cream 2022)
- Macieira (macieira.pt): Produtos (Royal Spirit, XO, Cream liqueurs)
- Macieira (macieira.pt): brand site, Pernod Ricard Portugal contact; Macieira Cream 17 % vol.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I, category 5 Brandy or Weinbrand (36 % vol.; oak ageing)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)