Aguardiente has become popular out of nowhere and is the most popular alcoholic beverage consumed in Colombia, each department or region has its own Aguardiente. Colombians drink it straight as individual shots and they rarely use it in cocktails. More people in the United States use it in their Mojito’s as a replacement to rum. Aguardiente is an anise-flavored liqueur. By adding different amounts of anise seeds you’ll obtain different flavors. Aguardiente Description From Colombia, in the northwest corner of South America with 700 exotic miles of coastline on the Caribbean and 500 miles along the Pacific, comes Aguardiente Cristal, 100% Colombian spirit. Cristal is considered the National drink of its native land and has become the largest selling Aguardiente in the US. Molasses, trucked in from Colombia’s sugarcane fields then mixed with anise. Distillation converts the sugar to alcohol, with most about 60 proof, adding more sugar to give it its trademark sweetness. Industria Licorera de Caldas blends its alcohol with the purest water coming from the Nevado del Ruiz and the best natural anise essence from Europe. 60 Proof