‘A Ginjinha’, best place in Lisbon to enjoy a Ginja (liqueur made of berries)

When walking to ‘Restauradores’ or ‘Rossio’ be sure to stop at the ‘A Ginjinha’ cafe.

Lisbon Rossio Ginja

This is a tiny bar where a maximum of three people can go in at a time and order a Ginja.

A Ginjinha near Restauradores

Ginja or Ginjinha as most people call it, is a liqueur made of a cherry-like berry called (not surprisingly) Ginja. The berries are fermented into a brandy that’s slightly bitter, slightly sweet and very sticky.

You can order a Ginja for little money and with or without a cherry in it. The Ginja’s are on the bottom of the bottle and it requires a fair bit of skill to get just one berry into a glass. Most Portugese people like to have their Ginjinha ‘com Ginja’, with a cherry in the glass. If you don’t want it, ask for one ‘sem Ginja’ (without a Ginja).

A Ginjinha near Restauradores Lisbon Portugal

The older Portugese men drink their Ginja in one time. After this, they suck on the berry for a while and spit the pit onto the streets.

There’s no specific time for drinking a Ginja, the Portugese tend to drink all day and ‘A Ginjinha’ is open from early morning.

A Ginjinha near Restauradores Lisbon

3 Responses to “‘A Ginjinha’, best place in Lisbon to enjoy a Ginja (liqueur made of berries)”

  1. […] Rossio near Restauradores: Portuguese like to drink a ‘Ginjinha’, a liqueur made of […]

  2. Where can I buy Ginja from Portugal that will ship to the USA?
    Thanks
    Carl

  3. […] Ginjinja near the tiny Ginja bar on Largo de São Domingos, Ginjinha is a liqueur made of a cherry-like […]

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