AN EGG TART YOU CAN DRINK

Licor 35 Creme de Pastel de Nata Liqueur has become a major hit  in Macau
by


Translation Daisy Wong / Photos Eloi Scarva

One of Portugal’s most famous products is of course its delicious egg tarts or Pastel de Nata.  And indeed, these delectable treats have also become an iconic symbol of Macau, with tourists queuing up around the block to order them when they visit.  Now, think of combining the irresistible flavour of an egg tart with a sweet creamy liqueur and what you have is one of the hottest new items in town today, Licor 35 Creme de Pastel de Nata Liqueur.   

With cinnamon aromas, and puff pastry and egg cream flavours, Licor 35 is made with Aguardente, resulting in a drink with 14.5% alcohol that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or added to your coffee, and always with a recommended sprinkling of additional cinnamon. 

“Licor 35 has become very popular, not only because it’s a lovely drink, but you can also make so many things with it, like cocktails and desserts.  I have even seen a chef adding a little to a beef dish,” says Renato Henriques, Export Manager for the company.  “And we are not just selling a drink.  We are also selling a little bit of Portuguese culture around the world, and I think a little bit of Macau also.”

We caught up with Renato in November when he was in town for the Macau International Trade and Investment Fair, his second time at the event. 

The product was launched onto the market back in 2016, initially finding success in Portugal and other countries in Europe. 

“Two years ago I received an email from Mr Ricardo Pinto, the director of the Portuguese Bookshop in Macau, saying that he wanted to place an order, and since then, the product has become very popular here,” notes Renato.

And it’s not just the drink that is a big seller at the bookshop, but in fact the ceramic egg tart cups that are sold with it. 

“Actually the ceramics were not our focus, but suddenly Ricardo began to order more and more because they were so popular here, especially with tourists from mainland China”. 

The promotional slogan for Licor 35 here in Macau is “The egg tart you can drink.”  But what really seemed to put these products on the map around a year ago, was some posts that went viral on the Chinese social media platform, Little Red Book, which resulted in a surge of tourists wanting to purchase both the liqueur and the ceramic cups and plates.

Last year, a visiting K-Pop band Seventeen, also posted about the product on their IG, creating even more buzz.

“Honestly, I had never heard of Little Red Book or Seventeen before, but the impact of these posts has been amazing.  It’s really something I can’t explain,” admits Renato. 

With sales of around 200,000 large-sized bottles a year, Licor 35 is now sold in 27 countries around the world, with its biggest market being Europe, followed by Brazil and North America.   With the success it has had in Macau, Renato is now focused on the China market.

“A couple of years ago, many people told me that Licor 35 would not be popular in China because Chinese people don’t like sweet things. But I can tell you this is not true. The new generation likes to try different things and they really like our drink, and of course the ceramics, and they are very curious about Portuguese culture.”

Keeping up with demand for the ceramics has been a challenge too. They were created by a Portuguese artisan who never expected them to be in such high demand.

“One by one, they take clay, make a rough shape and put it in the mold by hand. Then they are painted and put in the oven to bake, so no two cups are exactly the same.  The artisan who makes them is going a bit crazy trying to keep up with the orders, but a happy crazy!” laughs Renato.

In his previous career, Renato worked in a bank for 15 years.  Then around nine years ago, one of his clients, Paulo Lima – the inventor and owner of Licor 35 – came to him looking for advice about a new business venture.

“I said to him: ‘Drinking and eating is always a good business’. And then a few months later he invited me to go to a wine trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. We had conversation with a liquor producer about Portuguese pastel de nata, and then we had an idea: why not combine these two?”

Renato returned to his job at the bank, not expecting to have much more involvement with the project, until one day his soon-to-be boss came to him with five initial product samples to try.

“After trying the samples, Paulo said that almost everyone prefered samples three and five, so he decided to name the product Licor 35. He went away and produced 12,000 bottles to sell and then he asked me to quit my job at the bank and join him in the venture.  Most people thought I was crazy, but I was tired of the work I was doing and looking for a new adventure, and now here I am, travelling around the world making people happy with this delicious beverage.” 

Renato particularly credits Macau for the success of the ceramic products related to Licor 35.  

“Honestly, in other markets they were not a big seller, but Macau has really changed that.  And of course, we have a strong connection with Ricardo and his great team at the Portuguese Bookshop. They are really like our Macau family.”

Available at the Portuguese Bookstore 

Centro Comercial Hin Lei, 16-18 Rua de São Domingos, Macau

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